USBWA News from Mel Greenberg News

Many familiar faces are featured on the 2024-25 U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Women's All-America Team, with 11 of 15 players on the three teams having earned previous All-America honors from the USBWA.

For the final period through Sunday, March 2, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Iowa State center Audi Crooks; South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts; West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly; Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers; USC guard JuJu Watkins. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Duke forward Toby Fournier and and the National Team of the Week is Columbia.

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 Jalonia Cambridge and and the National Team of the Week is NC State.

For the period through Sunday, Feb. 16, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Drake guard Katie Dinnebier; Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd; North Carolina guard Reniya Kelly; Harvard guard Harmoni Turner; and USC guard JuJu Watkins. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes and and the National Team of the Week is Texas.

For the period through Sunday, Feb. 9, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Oklahoma State guard Anna Gret Asi; Fairfield roadrunner Raiana Brown; USC forward Kiki Iriafen; NC State guard Aziaha James; Saint Joseph’s forward Laura Ziegler. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Duke forward Toby Fournier and and the National Team of the Week is Texas.

For the period through Sunday, Feb. 2, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Kentucky guard Georgia Amoore; Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo; Iowa guard Lucy Olsen; Columbia guard Riley Weiss; UNCW forward Ali Zelaya. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Vanderbilt guard Makayla Blakes and and the National Team of the Week is North Carolina.

For the period through Sunday, Jan. 26, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women's honorees of the week are Drexel guard Amaris Baker; UCLA center Lauren Betts; Florida State guard Ta'Niya Latson; Bucknell forward Ashley Sofilkanich; Murray State forward Katelyn Young; the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Vanderbilt guard Makayla Blakes and the National Team of the Week is Texas.

For the period through Sunday, Jan. 19, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are UConn guard Paige Bueckers; Gonzaga forward Yvonne Ejim; NC State guard Aziaha James; Richmond guard Rachel Ullstrom; LSU guard Mikaylah Williams; the Tamika Catchings National Freshmen of the Week are Vanderbilt guard Makayla Blakes and Nebraska guard Britt Prince; and for the second straight week the National Team of the Week is South Carolina.

For the period through Sunday, Jan. 12, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Navy guard Zanai Barnett-Gay; Oklahoma State guard Stailee Heard; Notre Dame forward Liatu King; South Dakota guard Grace Larkins; USC guard JuJu Watkins; the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Quinnipiac guard Gal Raviv; and the National Team of the Week is South Carolina.

For the period through Sunday, Jan. 5, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Kentucky guard Georgia Amoore; UCLA center Lauren Betts; Drake guard Katie Dinnebier; Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson; and Seton Hall forward Faith Masonius. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Texas guard Jordan Lee, and the National Team of the Week is Clemson.

For the period through Sunday, Dec. 29, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Georgia Tech guard Kara Dunn; Washington guard Elle Ladine; Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles; Maryland guard Kaylene Smikle; USC guard JuJu Watkins (National); Tori McKinney, Minnesota (Freshman) and Norfolk State (Team).

For the period through Sunday, Dec. 22, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are TCU guard Madison Conner; Colorado Guard Frida Formann; South Florida guard Sammie Puisis; USC guard JuJu Watkins; and Saint Joseph’s forward Laura Ziegler. The Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week is North Carolina guard Lanie Grant and the National Team of the Week is Alabama.

For the period through Sunday, Dec. 15, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Kansas guard S’Mya Nichols, Vanderbilt forward Khamil Pierre, California forward Marta Suarez, and Wisconsin forward Serah Williams. The Tamika Catchings freshman of the week is Rutgers guard Kiyomi McMiller, and the National Team of the Week is Georgia Tech.

For the period through Sunday, Dec. 8, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron, Temple guard Tiarra East, Colorado State forward Emma Ronsiek, USC guard JuJu Watkins, and LSU guard Mikaylah Williams. The Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week is Penn guard Sarah Miller, and for the first time there are two National Teams of the Week, both out of the Southeastern Conference in defending NCAA champion South Carolina and the program returning to prominence in Tennessee.

For the period through Sunday, Dec. 1, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson, LSU forward Aneesah Morrow, TCU guard Hailey Van and center Sedona Prince, and Kentucky center Clara Strack. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Texas forward Justice Carlton and the National Team of the Week is Duke.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 24, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Creighton guard Lauren Jensen, Northern Iowa guard Maya McDermott, Virginia Tech forward Rose Micheaux, and Connecticut guard Sarah Strong. The Tamika Catchings freshman of the week is Duke forward Toby Fournier and the team of the week is UCLA.

For the period through Sunday, Nov. 17, the five Ann Meyers Drysdale national women’s honorees of the week are Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers, Miami guard Haley Cavinder, Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper, UTSA forward Jordyn Jenkins, and Harvard guard Harmoni Turner. The Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week is Notre Dame forward Kate Koval and TCU is the National Team of the Week.

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.