INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) On the season's third weekly women's awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Big Ten Conference dominates the selections organized under Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for women's basketball. The pool of candidates is drawn from the weekly conference citations as well as at-large additions involving an expanded governing panel focusing on women's matters that will soon be in place.
Each week awards go to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's national player, the organization's Tamika Catchings freshman player, and the USBWA's women's team of the week.
For the season's third honorees for games ending Sunday, Dec. 19, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week goes to Stanford junior guard Haley Jones, the Tamika Catchings Women's Freshman Player of the Week honor goes to Michigan guard Laila Phelia and the women's national team citation goes to Michigan for performances in the voting period.
Jones, a 6-1 junior guard from Santa Cruz, Calif., averaged 13.0 points per game, 12.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 block in Stanford's 2-0 sweep that included a 74-63 win at previously-unbeaten No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday. Against the Lady Vols in Knoxville, the Pac-12 Player of the Week, following an 8-point outing in a 68-42 home win over UC Davis, scored 18 points, collected a career-high 19 rebounds and dealt six assists for the defending national champions, who jumped a spot to set up a 1-2 matchup tonight at No. 1 South Carolina. She became the ninth player this decade with at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a matchup of AP top-10 teams. Three of those come from Stanford, whose Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer, the Division I women's record holder for wins at 1,133, Monday joined the late Tennessee legend Pat Summitt with at least 600 AP poll appearances.
Phelia, a 6-0 guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, scored a career-high 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, and swiped two steals to help the then-No. 13 Wolverines upset No. 5 Baylor, 74-68, in overtime Sunday in Uncasville, Conn. The performance earned her the Big Ten's co-freshmen of the week honor.
Michigan also gets cited as team of the week for it's first ever triumph over a top five opponent and subsequent jump in Monday's AP poll to make the program's top-10 debut in the rankings' 46-year history at No. 9.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. For the 2012-13 season, the national and weekly player award became named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale while this is the first season the national and weekly freshman award is being given in the name of former Tennessee all-American Tamika Catchings.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for both individual awards, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA.
The winners of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event on site at the 2022 NCAA Women's Final Four in Minneapolis.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2021-22 USBWA Women's Weekly Honors
Week ending Dec. 5: Teisha Hyman, Syracuse (National); Shayeann Day-Wilson, Duke
(Freshman); Duke (Team)
· Week ending Dec.
12: Maddy Siegrist, Villanova (National); Aneesah Morrow, DePaul (Freshman); Georgia
Tech (Team)
· Week ending Dec. 19: Haley Jones,
Stanford (National); Laila Phelia, Michigan (Freshman); Michigan (Team)
·
Week ending Dec. 26: Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
(National); Rori Harmon, Texas (Freshman); South Carolina (Team)
·
Week ending Jan. 2: Ayoka Lee, Kansas State (National);
Kelbie Washington, Oklahoma (Freshman); Missouri (Team)
·
Week ending Jan. 9: Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado (National);
Alexis Markowski, Nebraska (Freshman); Colorado (Team)
·
Week ending Jan. 16: Caitlin Clark, Iowa (National);
Aaliyah Collins, Chicago State (Freshman); Oklahoma and Oregon (Team)
·
Week ending Jan. 23: Ayoka Lee, Kansas State (National);
Alberte Rimdal, Florida (Freshman); Ole Miss (Team)
·
Week ending Jan. 30: Naz Hillmon, Michigan (National);
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul (Freshman); Drexel (Team)
·
Week ending Feb. 6: Jasmine Dickey, Delaware (National);
Azzi Fudd, UConn (Freshman); Michigan (Team)
·
Week ending Feb. 13: Maddy Siegrist, Villanova (National);
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul (Freshman); Villanova (Team)
·
Week ending Feb. 20: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (National);
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul (Freshman); North Carolina (Team)
·
Week ending Feb. 27: Caitlin Clark, Iowa (National);
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul (Freshman); Stanford (Team)
·
Week ending March 6: Dre'Una Edwards, Kentucky (National);
Kaitlyn Chen, Princeton (Freshman); Kentucky (Team)
All-time USBWA Women's
National Weekly Honors (Since 2011-12)