Yvonne Ejim Named Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week
12/5/2023 10:29:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This is the first USBWA honor for the senior
INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) — Yvonne Ejim was named an Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Week after two dominating performances against then-No. 3 Stanford and Eastern Washington University.
The USBWA women's awards, organized under Mel Greenberg, the USBWA Vice President for women's basketball, are drawn from weekly conference honors as well as at-large additions.
Ejim, a 6-1 senior forward from Calgary, Alberta, and a first-time USBWA honoree, in two games averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds, first helping the Zags with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a narrow 82-80 win at Eastern Washington, and then Sunday brought then-No. 3 Stanford's perfect record to a dead stop, 96-78, shooting 11-of-16 for 68.8 percent from the field for 27 points while grabbing 12 rebounds. Gonzaga is on a 24-game home win streak and her season averages are 20.0 ppg and 8.5 rpg while shooting 66.9 percent from the field. The Stanford win was the highest ranked win ever for the Zags and sent them back into the poll for the first time this season at 23rd. She repeated her previous West Coast Conference player award on Monday.
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 became named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale while the national and weekly freshman award is being given in the name of former Tennessee all-American Tamika Catchings, which was applied at the start of the 2019-20 season.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for both individual awards, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winners of the 2024 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event on site at the 2024 NCAA Women's Final Four in Cleveland.
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 Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
2023-24 USBWA Women's Weekly Honors
• Week ending Nov. 12: Caitlin Clark, Iowa; Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina; Saniya Rivers, NC State; Kiki Iriafen, Stanford; Liza Karlen, Marquette (National); JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal (Freshman); Colorado (Team).
• Week ending Nov. 19: Cameron Brink, Stanford; Taylor Jones, Texas; Ayoka Lee, Kansas State; Lucy Olsen, Villanova; Harmoni Turner, Harvard (National); Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame (Freshman); Baylor (Team).
• Week ending Nov. 26: River Baldwin, NC State; Caitlin Clark, Iowa; Maggie Doogan, Richmond; Aneesah Morrow, LSU; KiKi Rice, UCLA (National); Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy (Freshman); Princeton (Team).
• Week ending Dec. 3: Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina; Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga; Rori Harmon, Texas; Cottie McMahon, Ohio State; Anne Simon, Maine (National); Madison Booker, Texas (Freshman); Southern Miss (Team).
