USBWA News from Mel Greenberg News

The return of collegiate basketball means the return of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association handing out its women’s five-member Ann Meyers Drysdale national players of the week, its Tamika Catchings freshman award, and noting its National Team of the Week. For the period through Sunday, Nov. 10, the first five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the season are Rutgers guard/forward Destiny Adams, Oklahoma center Raegan Beers, UCLA center Lauren Betts, Norfolk State guard Diamond Johnson, and Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles. The initial Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Michigan guard Syla Swords and Oregon is the USBWA National Team of the Week.

A pair of Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Year headline the 2023-24 USBWA Women's All-America Team. Iowa's Caitlin Clark, now a four-time All-American, and UConn's Paige Bueckers, earning her second honor, join LSU's three-time selection Angel Reese to bolster a power-packed six-woman first team. In all, 16 players were honored among three teams, in addition to five honorable mention selections.

After leading USC to its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1986, JuJu Watkins has been named the winner of the Tamika Catchings Award as the national freshman player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

For the fourth time in her career and for the third straight season, South Carolina's Dawn Staley has been named the Women's National Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

For their performances in the period through Sunday, Feb. 11, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale national honorees are Stanford forward Cameron Brink, Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley, Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, and Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke. The Tamika Catchings freshman award goes to Purdue forward Mary Ashley Stevenson and the National Team of the Week is Oregon State.

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – For their performances in the period through Sunday, Feb. 4, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale national honorees are Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards, Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon, and USC guard JuJu Watkins. The Tamika Catchings freshman award goes to Texas forward Madison Booker and the National Team of the Week is Mississippi State.

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – For their performances in the period through Sunday, Jan. 28, this week's five Ann Meyers Drysdale national honorees are Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player of the year; South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso; Penn State guard Makenna Marisa; West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly; and Oklahoma forward Skylar Vann. The Tamika Catchings freshman award goes to Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo and the National Team of the Week is Oregon State.

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – For their performances in the period through Sunday, Jan. 21, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale national honorees are Marshall guard Abby Beeman, UConn guard and past USBWA national player of the year Paige Bueckers, Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, North Carolina guard Deja Kelly, and Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon. The Tamika Catchings freshman award goes to Virginia guard Kymora Johnson and the National Team of the Week is Stanford.

When it came to choosing the newest recipients for the five USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale national players of the week, the Tamika Catchings freshman award and the team of the week, many outstanding performances continued to occur, some with special achievements. Moreso considering there were a slimmer number of games on a shortened schedule as the NCAA Division l women concluded action on December 22 to head into the Christmas break. For their performances through December 24, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale honorees are College of Charleston guard Alexis Andrews, Saint Joseph’s forward Talya Brugler, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, USC guard/forward McKenzie Forbes and Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon.

While the bulk of teams in the Associated Press women’s poll are affiliated with the Power 5 conferences meaning a lot of movement will be occurring once league races get under way with the arrival of the 2024 portion of the season schedule, quiet as it is now due to finals and less games, it still was not difficult to find standout performances from which to select the five USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week, the Tamika Catchings freshman award and the National Team of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Dec. 17. For their performances in the past seven days, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale honorees are Seton Hall guard Azana Baines, Marshall guard Breanna Campbell, Mississippi State center Jessika Carter, UConn guard Aubrey Griffin, and Marquette forward Liza Karlen.

For their performances in the past seven days, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale honorees are UCLA center Lauren Betts, UConn guard Paige Bueckers, Middle Tennessee guard Jalynn Gregory, Toledo guard Quinesha Lockett, and Utah forward Alissa Pili. The Tamika Catchings national freshman award goes to NC State guard Zoe Brooks while Washington is the National Team of the Week.

For their performances in the past seven days, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honorees are South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, Gonzaga forward Yvonne Ejim, Texas guard Rori Harmon, Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon, and Maine guard Anne Simon. 

Week 3 of the current women’s basketball season through Sunday night, Nov. 26, was a Thanksgiving feast of tournaments, most with predetermined matches, across the nation and down in the Caribbean, once again providing dynamic performances, stunning upsets, and a wealth of candidates to fill the USBWA expansion to five Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honorees in addition to the singular Tamika Catchings freshman and team citations.

For their performances in the past seven days, this week’s five Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honorees are Stanford forward Cameron Brink, Texas forward Taylor Jones, Kansas State center Ayoka Lee, Villanova guard Lucy Olsen, and Harvard guard Harmoni Turner. The Tamika Catchings freshman award goes to Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo while Baylor is the team of the week.

A new season is bringing a new and expanded look to the weekly women’s and men’s collegiate awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association in handing out five national Ann Meyers Drysdale weekly honors to the women and five Oscar Robertson honors on the men’s side. For their performances in the tumultuous week that ended Sunday, Nov. 12, the season’s first five Ann Meyers-Drysdale honorees are Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, the reigning USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner as the national player of the year; South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso; NC State guard Saniya Rivers; Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen; and Marquette forward Liza Karlen. The Tamika Catchings freshman honor goes to USC guard JuJu Watkins, while Colorado is the National Team of the Week.

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Coaching her trademark shutdown defense with a roster that includes two All-Americans, South Carolina's Dawn Staley is the USBWA National Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and third time in four seasons. Staley led the Gamecocks (34-0) to the SEC regular-season and tournament titles as they went the entire season ranked in the top spot of the Associated Press poll, only the third program to ever accomplish it.

Florida State guard Ta'Niya Latson, the ACC Rookie of the Year and the nation's 11th-leading scorer, has won the 2022-23 Tamika Catchings Award as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's National Freshman Player of the Year.

For the season’s 12th and final weekly women’s awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, for games ending Sunday, Feb. 26, South Carolina guard Zia Cooke is the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week, Notre Dame guard KK Bransford is the Tamika Catchings freshman recipient, and Iowa is the National Team of the Week.

For the season’s eleventh weekly women’s awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, for games ending Sunday, Feb. 19, Arizona guard Shaina Pellington is Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week, Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson is the Tamika Catchings freshman recipient, and Little Rock is the National Team of the Week.

For the season’s tenth weekly women’s awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, for games ending Sunday, Feb. 12, Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, and Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore, are co-players of the week, Maryland guard Bri McDaniel is the freshman recipient, and South Carolina is the National Team of the Week.