INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – It’s getting to be an annual trend that from mid-January to mid-February while some upsets occur, for the most part consistency settles in and then suddenly March Madness can’t wait one more week and sure outcomes become bad bets.
It happened this past Sunday when Notre Dame, which had assumed the top of The Associated Press women’s poll six days earlier ending UCLA’s 12-week run, lost in double overtime at NC State in a 1-2 battle in the Atlantic Coast Conference, giving the Fighting Irish their first league loss and ending an overall 19-game winning streak.
As a result on Monday, Texas moved into the AP penthouse for the first time in 21 seasons becoming the fourth No. 1, including defending NCAA champion South Carolina, which was at the top early in the season.
Some teams have managed to make it this far untouched in conference action though a few steps are left before the brackets begin getting set Saturday and Sunday for the fight for 31 NCAA automatic bids.
One of those steps is 9 p.m. Saturday night on FOX in the Big Ten part two as No. 4 USC goes across town looking to sweep No. 2 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
As for the ten schools still perfect in their leagues, a team of the regular season salute to Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN 16-0); No. 5 Connecticut (Big East 16-0); Montana State (Big Sky 15-0); Fairfield (MAAC 16-0) Norfolk State (MEAC 11-0); Fairleigh Dickinson (NEC 13-0); SE Louisiana (Southland 18-0); South Dakota State (Summit 14-0); James Madison (Sun Belt 16-0); and Grand Canyon (WAC 12-0).
A bunch more have just one in conference competition.
The USBWA women’s awards, organized under Mel Greenberg, the USBWA Vice President for women’s basketball, are chosen from weekly conference honors as well as at-large additions. Nominations are welcome as each seven-day period rolls along to make sure no one is inadvertently overlooked.
There is no restriction within a week on the number of national honors received within a conference, especially the way realignment has affected membership size.
For the period through Sunday, Feb. 23, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Oklahoma center Raegan Beers; South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley; Portland forward Alexis Mark; USC guard JuJu Watkins; Columbia guard Riley Weiss. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge and and the National Team of the Week is NC State.
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 the national and weekly freshman award is being given in the name of former Tennessee all-American Tamika Catchings, which was applied at the start of the 2019-20 season.
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 2025 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 NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa.
Beers, a 6-4 junior center from Littleton, Colo., who was an AP third-team All-American and USBWA honorable mention All-American at Oregon State in the former Pac-12 last season, in two SEC wins for Oklahoma (21-6, 9-5), which was ranked 13th on Monday, reached a career-high 30 points in a 101-81 win at home over Vanderbilt and then matched it a few days later in a 94-54 win at Arkansas. She’s the first Sooner posting back-to-back 30-point games since Courtney Paris’ sophomore season in 2007. In the two games, the SEC Player of the Week combined to shoot 23-27 for 85 percent from the field. She also averaged 10.5 rebounds in the pair of victories.
Fulwiley, a 5-10 sophomore guard from the No. 6 Gamecocks’ backyard in Columbia, starred off the bench in two wins in the SEC as South Carolina (25-3, 13-1) bounced back from the non-conference beating by Connecticut. She scored 10 of her 15 points in the second half and was 4-of-5 overall on shots from deep in a 95-55 win over Arkansas at home and then in an 82-54 win at Vanderbilt, she was 10-for-15 from the field, scoring 24 points, including 2-of-4 on 3-point attempts, 2-of-4 from the line, with four rebounds and a pair of steals.
Mark, a 5-11 graduate forward from Chatsworth, Calif., who transferred from Loyola Marymount two years ago, is averaging 11.9 points and 7.2 rebounds and is one of only two NCAA players with minimal stats of 11.5 points, seven rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals. In two Portland wins, which brought the Pilots (26-3, 15-3) to a first place tie with Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, she averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks. In a comeback against Santa Clara, she had 15 of her 23 points in the second half with 11 rebounds overall and during the week reached her 1,500th career point. Portland’s record is its best in the program dating to 1996-97 and its 15 conference wins matches a high, beside 15 home wins on the season, which is also a new high. On Monday Mark was named WCC Player of the Week.
Watkins, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Los Angeles who was the 2024 USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Year, is picking up her sixth USBWA weekly award and overall her USBWA multi honors are exceeded only by former Iowa star Caitlin Clark and Connecticut graduate senior Paige Bueckers. Watkins is currently third in the nation in scoring with a 24.2 average. In two Big Ten wins by No.4 USC (25-2, 15-1) she scored 28 points, grabbed eight boards and three steals with three blocks and three assists in an 83-74 win over then-No. 22 Michigan State, followed in a 70-66 win over then-No. 25 Illinois with 22 points, five rebounds, four blocks and three assists while going 10-10 from the line, both at home. She is now 11th on the all-time USC scoring list, having passed former WNBA great Cynthia Cooper. On Monday, she picked up her sixth Big Ten weekly award.
Weiss, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Hewlett, N.Y., on Long Island, who is getting her second USBWA weekly award this season, is averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and shooting 42.7 percent from the field. At Princeton, to snap an Ivy League first-place tie with a 64-60 win over the Tigers she had a career-high 34 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter. In the 13-0 rally to start the period, she scored 10 of the points. For the game she was 11-for-21 from the field, 5-for-11 from beyond the arc, and 7-for-7 from the line, the foul shots all in that last period. The Lions handed Princeton their first sweep loss since playing Penn in 2017 and Columbia’s first Princeton sweep wins since 2008. The triumph also snapped Princeton’s nation-leading active home win streak in Jadwin Gym at 30. On Monday, she picked up her third Ivy weekly award.
Cambridge, a 5-7 guard from Nashville, in a 2-1 week for the now-No. 12 Buckeyes (23-4, 12-4), averaged 22.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 steals. In an 86-78 overtime home win against Iowa, she had 29 points, four assists and three rebounds before picking up 18 points, four steals, and four rebounds in a 71-61 loss at Indiana. Back home Sunday in a 98-46 win over Purdue, the largest home win in a Big Ten game in program history, she collected 20 points, with five assists, four steals and three boards with 7-7 on the line. She’s second on the team with a 15.6 average and leads with 90 assists. On Monday, she picked up her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor.
On Monday, NC State (22-5, 14-2) jumped back into the top ten at 9th in the AP Poll following the upset of Notre Dame in double overtime at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, the first win over a No. 1 team since downing Wayland Baptist in the AIAW era in 1978. Zoe Brooks, in two ranked wins, including 83-68 over then-No. 20 Georgia Tech, averaged 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and shot 16-of-35 from the floor for 45.7 percent, and was perfect 17-for-17 from the line. She had a career-high 33 points and 10 boards to win ACC Player of the Week while freshman Tilda Trygger, a native of Sweden, averaged 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds to win the weekly ACC freshman award.
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.
2024-25 USBWA Women's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 10: Destiny Adams, Rutgers; Raegan Beers, Oklahoma; Lauren Betts, UCLA; Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State; Olivia Miles, Notre Dame; (National); Syla Swords, Michigan (Freshman); Oregon (Team).
• Week ending Nov. 17: Paige Bueckers, Connecticut; Hayley Cavinder, Miami; Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee; Jordyn Jenkins, UTSA; Harmoni Turner, Harvard (National); Kate Koval, Notre Dame (Freshman); TCU (team).
• Week ending Nov. 24: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; Lauren Jensen, Creighton; Maya McDermott, Northern Iowa; Rose Micheaux, Virginia Tech; Sarah Strong, Connecticut (National); Toby Fournier, Duke (Freshman); UCLA (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 1: Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State; Aneesah Morrow, LSU; Hailey Van Lith, TCU; Sedona Prince, TCU; Clara Strack, Kentucky (National); Justice Carlton, Texas (Freshman); Duke (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 8: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame; Tiarra East, Temple; Emma Ronsiek, Colorado State; JuJu Watkins, USC; Mikaylah Williams, LSU (National); Sarah Miller, Penn (Freshman); South Carolina, Tennessee (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 15: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; S’Mya Nichols, Kansas; Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt; Marta Suarez, California; Serah Williams, Wisconsin (National); Kiyomi McMiller, Rutgers (Freshman); Georgia Tech (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 22: Madison Conner, TCU; Frida Formann, Colorado, Sammie Puisis, South Florida; JuJu Watkins, USC; Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph’s (National); Lanie Grant, North Carolina (Freshman); Alabama (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 29: Kara Dunn, Georgia Tech; Elle Ladine, Washington; Olivia Miles, Notre Dame; Kaylene Smikle, Maryland; JuJu Watkins, USC (National); Tori McKinney, Minnesota (Freshman); Norfolk State (Team).
• Week ending Jan. 5: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky; Lauren Betts, UCLA; Katie Dinnebier, Drake; Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State; Faith Masonius, Seton Hall (National); Jordan Lee, Texas (Freshman); Clemson (Team).
• Week ending Jan. 12: Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy; Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State; Liatu King; Grace Larkins, South Dakota; JuJu Watkins, Notre Dame (National) Gal Raviv, Quinnipiac (Freshman); South Carolina (Team).
• Week ending Jan. 19: Paige Bueckers, Connecticut; Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga; Aziaha James, NC State; Rachel Ullstrom, Richmond; Mikaylah Williams, LSU (National); Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt; Britt Prince, Nebraska (Freshman); South Carolina (Team).
• Week ending Jan. 26: Amaris Baker, Drexel; Lauren Betts, UCLA; Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State; Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell; Katelyn Young, Murray State (National); Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt (Freshman); Texas (Team).
• Week ending Feb. 2: Georgia Amoore, Kentucky; Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; Lucy Olsen, Iowa; Riley Weiss, Columbia; Ali Zelava, UNCW (National); Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt (Freshman); North Carolina (Team).
• Week ending Feb. 9: Anna Gret Asi, Oklahoma State; Raiana Brown, Fairfield; Kiki Iriafen, USC; Aziaha James, NC State; Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph’s (National); Toby Fournier, Duke (Freshman); Texas (Team).
• Week ending Feb. 16: Katie Dinnebier, Drake; Azzi Fudd, Connecticut; Reniya Kelly, North Carolina; Harmoni Turner, Harvard; JuJu Watkins, USC (National); Mikaya Blakes, Vanderbilt (Freshman); Texas (Team).
• Week ending Feb. 23: Raegan Beers, Oklahoma; MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina; Alexis Mark, Portland; JuJu Watkins, USC; Riley Weiss, Columbia (National); Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State (Freshman); NC State (Team).