USBWA Awards Articles

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 30.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 30, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes; Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Murray State forward Sharnecce Currie-Jelks; UCLA guard-forward Gabriela Jaquez; and North Carolina guard Indya Nivar. The Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week is Mississippi State forward Madison Francis, and the National Team of the Week is Texas.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association is proud and excited to unveil a new monthly feature for the 2025-26 season. At the beginning of each month the association will be awarding two Oscar Robertson Player of the Month honors. One will go to a player at a high-major program, the other at a mid-major school. This will continue to spotlight big-time performers and add a little more attention and recognition beyond our five-man Player of the Week spotlights.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 23, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Richmond forward Maggie Doogan; UConn guard Azzi Fudd; Iowa center Ava Heiden; South Carolina guard Ta’Niya Latson; and Kentucky center Clara Strack. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Week is Stanford forward Lara Somfai, and the National Team of the Week is Rhode Island.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 23.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 16.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 16, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Navy guard Zanai Barnett-Gay, Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Michigan guard Olivia Olson, Washington guard Sayvia Sellers, and West Virginia guard Sydney Shaw. The Tamika Catchings freshman of the week is Maryland guard Addi Mack, and the team of the week is UCLA.

For their performances from the season's opening through Sunday, Nov. 9, the first five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees are Fairfield roadrunner Meghan Andersen; Iowa State center Audi Crooks; Florida guard Liv McGill; Baylor guard Taliah Scott; and Princeton guard Fatima Tall. The first Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week goes to USC guard Jazzy Davidson, and the Team of the Week is reigning NCAA champion UConn.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has named five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week for games of the week ending Sunday, Nov. 9.

Nine All-Americans from last season highlighted by first-teamers Lauren Betts of UCLA and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame are among 50 top players who make up the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award created by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. 

Twenty standout first-year players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Tamika Catchings Award by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Fifty standout returning players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Oscar Robertson Trophy by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Twenty-five standout first-year players have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Wayman Tisdale Award by the board of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

The longtime head coach and recipient of the USBWA's Dean Smith Award passed away Tuesday.

Remembered for his infinite capacity for friendship and his bear-hug embrace of family — as well as being the guy who put the pun in sports punditry — longtime Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Jack Wilkinson, 74, died June 1 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The legendary Dick Vitale is honored in St. Louis with the USBWA's Dean Smith Award.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, an institution inspired by former executive director Joe Mitch to recognize outstanding journalists nearly 40 years ago, will bear his name, it was announced on Monday. The announcement was made at the association’s annual awards luncheon at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk on Monday.

Zach Osterman, whose coverage of Indiana University basketball this season included the departure of coach Mike Woodson, a highly-scrutinized search for his replacement and a failure to reach the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, has been named recipient of the Jim O’Connell Award for excellence in beat reporting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

The boys and girls basketball teams at Palisades Charter High School in California, who completed winning seasons while coping with the trauma of the January wildfires that destroyed much of their campus and left several players without their homes, have been named the winners of the 2025 Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award and 2025 Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Dick Vitale, whose philanthropy as a champion of cancer research has become as much a part of his signature as his devotion to basketball, has been named the recipient of the Dean Smith Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, recognizing an individual in the sport who embodies the spirit and values of the late Coach Smith.