Ionescu Named USBWA National Player of the Week
02/14/17 | Women's Basketball
Ionescu is just the third player from the Pac-12 to earn the award this season.
ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Oregon freshman guard Sabrina Ionescu as its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 12. The USBWA's weekly honor is handed out each Tuesday through mid-February.
As the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week, Ionescu was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for women's basketball, from a list of Division I conference players of the week.
Ionescu, a 5-10 freshman guard from Walnut Creek, Calif., who was also the Pac-12 freshman of the week (the second time a dual honor given in league history), averaged 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for the week. She had an Oregon record fourth career triple-double – already breaking the career mark of Bev Smith – in the 84-75 upset of UCLA with 11 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. At the Women's NCAA Final Four in Denver, 2012, the organization announced going forward that the national and weekly player award has been named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale. At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2017 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event in Dallas, site of the 2017 NCAA Women's Final Four.
2016-17 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week• Week ending Dec. 11: Napheesa Collier, UConn (American Athletic Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 18: Alaina Coates, South Carolina (Southeastern Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 25: Kristine Anigwe, California (Pac-12 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 1: Ty Petty, Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
• Week ending Jan. 8: Kelsey Plum, Washington (Pac-12 Conference USA)
• Week ending Jan. 15: Brionna Jones, Maryland (Big Ten Conference USA)
• Week ending Jan. 22: Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn (American Athletic Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 29: Camille Zimmerman, Columbia (Ivy League)
• Week ending Feb. 5: Jennie Simms, Old Dominion (Conference USA)
• Week ending Feb. 12: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (Pac-12 Conference)
