Iowa State’s Crooks Headlines USBWA Women’s Weekly Honors for Second Consecutive Week

Cyclones Center Dominates Again as Guards Sweep National Player Awards

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Guards dominated the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s weekly women’s awards for the period ending November 16, but Iowa State’s Audi Crooks made it two consecutive weeks earning national recognition, cementing her status as one of college basketball’s most dominant post players.

The USBWA announced its weekly honors on Monday, recognizing five national players of the week, a freshman standout, and UCLA as the National Team of the Week following an impressive 3-0 performance against ranked opponents.

Crooks Continues Historic Tear

Crooks, a 6-3 junior center from Algona, Iowa, delivered another jaw-dropping performance as Iowa State remained undefeated at 5-0 and climbed four spots to No. 12 in the Associated Press women’s poll.

Against Valparaiso, Crooks set a Cyclones program record with a career-high 43 points on an absurd 19-of-23 shooting—all in just 20 minutes while battling illness. She added seven rebounds in the 97-50 blowout victory in Ames.

Two days later, against Norfolk State, Crooks followed up with a perfect performance: 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting with 10 rebounds in Iowa State’s 98-52 rout. Teammate Addy Brown added the program’s fourth triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Crooks earned her second consecutive Big 12 Player of the Week award Monday, becoming the first player this season to win back-to-back USBWA national honors.

Guards Take Center Stage

While Crooks owned the paint, four elite guards rounded out the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honors:

Navy’s Zanai Barnett-Gay, a 5-8 junior from Glenn Dale, Maryland, delivered a signature upset of Florida, scoring 22 points—17 in the second half—with eight rebounds in the Midshipmen’s 69-54 victory Sunday. It marked the Navy’s first win over an SEC opponent since 1998. Earlier in the week, the Patriot League preseason player of the year posted 25 points and 13 boards in a 74-66 win over Longwood.

Michigan’s Olivia Olson, a 6-1 sophomore from New Hope, Minnesota, led the Wolverines to a stunning 93-54 demolition of then-No. 18 Notre Dame in the Shamrock Classic in Detroit. Olson scored 20 points with six rebounds and three assists, leading Michigan from wire to wire. The victory propelled the Wolverines from No. 14 to No. 6 in the AP Poll—their second-highest ranking in the poll’s 50-year history—while Notre Dame plummeted to 24th.

Washington’s Sayvia Sellers, a 5-7 junior from Anchorage, Alaska, torched opponents for 49 combined points as No. 25 Washington went 2-0. She scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting with five assists against Montana, then exploded for 30 points with four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks at Utah—her second consecutive 30-point game against the Utes. Sellers earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week award.

West Virginia’s Sydney Shaw, a 5-9 senior from Miami, Florida, sparked the Mountaineers’ jump to No. 23 in the AP Poll with a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds in a 57-49 upset of then-No. 15 Duke at the Greenbrier Tipoff. The game turned chaotic when a first-half melee resulted in four West Virginia starters being ejected, leaving only five players available for the second half. Shaw followed up with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in an 89-61 home win over Temple.

Maryland’s Mack Earns Freshman Honors

Maryland’s Addi Mack, a 5-9 freshman guard from Minneapolis, claimed the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week award after leading No. 9 Maryland to two home victories.

Mack scored 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting with six assists and three rebounds in an 88-70 win over Towson, then followed with another 15-point performance in her first career start—an 84-68 victory over Ivy League favorite Princeton. She added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals against the Tigers, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.

UCLA Claims Team of the Week

No. 3 UCLA earned USBWA National Team of the Week honors after a perfect 3-0 week that included two ranked victories.

The Bruins opened with a 73-59 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma in Sacramento, then traveled to Las Vegas for the WBCA Challenge, where they dominated then-No. 11 North Carolina 78-60 and American Athletic Conference favorite South Florida 94-61.

Center Lauren Betts, projected as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, was named Most Outstanding Player of the North Carolina game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and a steal. Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker earned MOP honors against South Florida with 16 points, seven assists, a block, and a steal.

Special Recognition: Hidalgo’s Historic Night

While not among this week’s honorees, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo deserves special recognition for a performance that rewrote the record books. The AP preseason All-American scored 44 points—a Notre Dame record—with 16 steals—an NCAA record—and nine rebounds in the Irish’s win over Akron.

Hidalgo became the only player in WNBA, NBA, or NCAA history (all genders and divisions) to record at least 40 points and 15 steals in a single game, just missing a triple-double.

Looking Ahead

Michigan hosts Binghamton Tuesday at 7 p.m. before traveling East for a Top 10 showdown against No. 1 UConn in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at 8 p.m. ET on FOX at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The USBWA will continue recognizing weekly standout performances throughout the season, with finalists for both the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year announced at the conclusion of the regular season. Winners will be presented at the USBWA’s annual awards event during the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Phoenix.

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