SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Ashley Hawkins of Santa Clara won West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors after leading the Broncos to a pair of wins. This week features Co-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week winners as San Francisco's Aina Cargol and Gonzaga's Lauren Whittaker earned the recognition.
WEST COAST CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – ASHLEY HAWKINS, GR., G, – SANTA CLARA
Ashley Hawkins (Long Beach, Calif.) earned player of the week honors after leading Santa Clara to wins over Gonzaga and Seattle U, averaging 14.7 points and eight assists for the week. In the 77-73 win over Gonzaga, Hawkins tied a season high in points and assists, scoring 16 points and dishing out 11 assists without turning the ball over to pick up her first double-double of the season. She recorded seven assists in the win over Seattle U, also without committing a turnover. Hawkins collected six steals on the week en route to her first conference weekly honor and Santa Clara's second of the season.
Also Nominated: Dyani Ananiev, Portland; Ella Brubaker, Seattle U; Candy Edokpaigbe, San Francisco; Jess Lawson, LMU; Shorna Preston, Pepperdine; Kylie Ray, San Diego; Abigail Shoff, Saint Mary's; Jenna Villa, Oregon State; Eleonora Villa, Washington State; Sydney Ward, Pacific; Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
WEST COAST CONFERENCE CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK – AINA CARGOL, G – SAN FRANCISCO
Aina Cargol (Oolot, Spain) paced San Francisco in three wins last week while averaging 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists on the week in wins over Portland, San Diego and LMU. Cargol earned back-to-back double-digit games which included a 17-point, eight-assist performance in the overtime victory over LMU on Sunday. She scored 13 of the 17 points in the second half and overtime, putting up a game-tying three with 14 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Cargol added 20 assists on the week, highlighted by eight in the win over the Lions. This is her second and San Francisco's fourth conference honor on the season.
WEST COAST CONFERENCE CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK – LAUREN WHITTAKER, F – GONZAGA
For the third straight week and sixth time this season, Lauren Whittaker (Canterbury, New Zealand) earns Freshman of the Week honors. She averaged 19.7 points per game, shooting .556 and grabbing 10.7 rebounds on the week. Whittaker picked up two double-doubles last week, which included scoring 21 points and collecting 13 rebounds against Santa Clara. The forward leads all freshmen and is sixth in the nation in double-doubles with seven on the season. Whittaker has earned seven of Gonzaga's eight conference weekly awards, inclusive of freshman and player of the week, this season.
Also Nominated: Julia Dalan, Portland; Keira Lindemans, Oregon State; Delainey Miller, Santa Clara; Sophia Mindermann, Pacific; Oliva Owens, San Diego; Malia Ruud, Washington State; Jana Vesic, Seattle U
West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
November 10: Allie Turner, Gonzaga
November 17: Tiara Bolden, Oregon State
November 24: Candy Edokpaigbe, San Francisco
December 1: Candy Edokpaigbe, San Francisco
December 8: Shorna Preston, Pepperdine
December 15: Sophie Glancey, Santa Clara
December 22: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
December 29: Jenna Villa, Oregon State
January 4: Ashley Hawkins, Santa Clara
West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week
November 10: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
November 17: Aina Cargol, San Francisco
November 24: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
December 1: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
December 8: Ayla Williams, San Diego
December 15: Julia Dalan, Portland
December 22: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
December 29: Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
January 4: Aina Cargol, San Francisco & Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga