USF junior guard was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Player of the Week, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Laksa, a 6-0 guard from Riga, Latvia, who was a weekly USBWA freshman honoree in 2015, averaged 22 points in a pair of wins by USF but it was in the first against Southern that she gained acclaimed setting an NCAA record connecting on 11-straight 3-point attempts. She missed her first from beyond the arc before launching her string to finish with 40 points, shooting 13-of-16 overall from the field in becoming the second in program history to reach that total.
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 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 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA’s annual awards event in Columbus, Ohio, site of the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
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 Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.
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