USBWA Release
Indianapolis, Ind. – Clemson women’s basketball’s Amari Robinson has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week, announced today by the USBWA. It is her first career national award, and the first national freshman of the week selection in school history.
Robinson averaged 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and shot 20-23 from the free throw line in wins over Pittsburgh and Duke. In the overtime win over the Panthers on Thursday, Robinson led with 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while finishing 12-of-13 from the charity stripe. On Sunday, the Douglasville, Ga., native turned in a 16-point, nine-rebound performance, going 8-for-10 from the free throw line and guiding the Tigers to their first win over Duke in 24 tries.
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 this is the first season the national and weekly freshman award is being given in the name of former Tennessee all-American Tamika Catchings.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for both awards, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA.
The winners of the 2020 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 in New Orleans, site of the 2020 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Both winners will be honored at the USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on April 13, 2020.
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.
