PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly women’s basketball honors for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 18.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Katie Lou Samuelson • Jr. • G • UConn
Junior Katie Lou Samuelson earned her second Player of the Week accolade after averaging 26.5 points on 67.9 percent (19-of-28) shooting in a 2-0 week for top-ranked UConn. In the Huskies’ 69-58 win over No. 4 Louisville on Feb. 12, Samuelson led all scorers with 26 points, connecting on 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the field including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. On Saturday, Samuelson registered 27 points on a 9-of-11 (81.8 percent) shooting performance while dishing out five assists. She finished the week with a perfect 7-for7 from the charity stripe.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Emani Mayo • Fr. • G • Temple
Freshman Emani Mayo collected the first conference accolade of her career upon averaging 16.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists for Temple last week. She put forth 15 points at Wichita State on Saturday, snagging four rebounds, before leading the Owls at UConn on Sunday with 17 points including five 3-pointers, connecting on a 50.0 percent (6-for-12) clip from the field.
Weekly Honor Roll
Zakiya Saunders • Sr. • G • UCF
Generated a career-high 31 points on Sunday at No. 22/21 USF, bettering her previous high of 23, while recording seven rebounds, two assists and five steals to lead the Knights. Saunders has reached double-figure scoring totals in 18 of her 21 appearances this season and is the first UCF player to reach 30-plus points so far this season
Angela Harris • So. • G • Houston
Earned a spot on the Honor Roll for the second-straight week after registering a career-high 32 points for Houston on Saturday against ECU. Harris shot a career-best 11-of-17 from the field in the Cougars’ 20th victory of the season, going 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from beyond the arc while adding eight rebounds, six assists and five steals
Brea Elmore • Sr. • G • Memphis
Led Memphis in both games last week, averaging 20.5 points, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 rebounds per game. In Sunday’s Play4Kay win over Tulane, Elmore registered 20 points on 9-for17 shooting while totaling seven assists after scoring 21 points on an 8-of-15 performance from the field at ECU on Wednesday
Maria Jespersen • Sr. • F • USF
Averaged a double-double for the Bulls in a 2-0 week with 24.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Jespersen poured in 28 points, including four 3-pointers, with 10 rebounds in USF’s win over SMU on Wednesday, and followed with 21 points and 15 boards as the Bulls edged UCF in overtime in the War On I4 on Sunday
Rangie Bessard • Sr. • G • Wichita State
In a 2-0 week for the Shockers, averaged 27.0 points and 5.0 rebounds including a career-high 38 points against Temple on Wednesday. Against the Owls, Bessard connected for a career-high 13 field goals and went 10-for 12 from the foul line, and followed on Saturday with a game-high 16 points at SMU