Jan. 29, 2013

USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week announcement

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford junior forward Chiney Ogwumike claimed her first USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week honor, the organization announced Tuesday.

She was also named Pac-12 Player of the Week Monday for the third time this season and seventh time in her career.

It is Ogwumike's second national weekly honor of the season. She was also named espnW's inaugural National Player of the Week on Nov. 19 after leading the Cardinal to victory over then-No. 1/1 Baylor en route to the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic title from Nov. 16-18.

Ogwumike earned her first USBWA national honor following a weekend in which she averaged 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.50 blocks while shooting 61.5 percent (16-for-26) over No. 4/5 Stanford's weekend sweep of Utah and then-No. 20/23 Colorado. In those performances she posted her 14th and 15th double-doubles and 20-point performances of the season, going for 23 points with 13 rebounds in Friday night's 65-44 win over Utah then posting 20 points with 12 rebounds in Sunday's 69-56 win against Colorado.

Ogwumike's 15 double-doubles lead the Pac-12 and rank third in the nation, and she is the only player in the country to rank in the national top 10 in scoring (22.0 ppg - sixth), rebounding (12.0 rpg - seventh) and field-goal percentage (58.6 - seventh) in the NCAA's latest rankings through the games of Jan. 27.

Sunday's game against No. 20/23 Colorado was Stanford's ninth game of the season against a Top-25 opponent, and Ogwumike continued her standout play against the nation's best with her double-double. Over the nine games against Top-25 opponents Stanford has gone 7-2 behind Ogwumike's 20.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 54.0 field-goal percentage (75-for-139).

Ogwumike and the Cardinal (18-2, 7-1 Pac-12) travel to Oregon this weekend for the team's first road game since Jan. 6. Stanford takes on Oregon Friday night at 6 p.m. and closes the weekend Sunday at 2 p.m. against Oregon State. Both contests will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.