Missouri State's Jasmine Franklin averaged 17.0 points, 12.5 rebounds to go along with four blocks and five steals as the Lady Bears beat No. 24 Virginia Tech and lost to LSU in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the week. The award is Franklin's 7th MVC Player of the Week honor of her career, including third-straight to open the season.
Franklin joins Drake's Lizzy Wendell (2015-16) and Drake's Sara Rhine (2018-19) as the only players in league history to win three-straight Player of the Week honors to open the season.
Evansville junior Je'Naiya Davis scored 35 points in just 22 minutes as the Aces beat Purdue Fort Wayne, earning her first Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Jasmine Franklin, Sr., F, Missouri State
Franklin recorded two more double-double performances last week against Power Five foes No. 24 Virginia Tech and LSU at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. Against the 24th-ranked Hokies on Friday, Franklin dropped 21 points and 12 rebounds on 60 percent shooting from the field, while also going 9-for-10 from the free throw line. On Saturday against the Tigers, Franklin recorded her fifth double-double in six games, which ranks third in the nation, with a 13-point, 13-rebound performance. She also blocked four shots and gathered four steals against LSU. The senior ranks first nationally with 9.8 defensive rebounds per game and second in the nation with 13.8 rebounds per game. She is also the only player in NCAA Division I averaging over 15.5 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 2 spg and 2 bpg.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Je’Naiya Davis, Jr., G, Evansville
In just her second game as an Ace, junior guard Je’Naiya Davis put on one of the most impressive scoring performances in UE history. Coming off the bench in an 84-71 win over Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, Davis scored 35 points in just 22 minutes of action, knocking-down 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc and shooting 13-17 from the field. The 35 points are tied for second-most in a game in program history and sit as the program record for points in a regulation game. Davis’ scoring outburst is just the third of its kind in NCAA DI since 2008-09, matching a 40-point performance from UC Davis’ Morgan Bertsch in 22 minutes in 2018 and a 35-point performance in 22 minutes from Baylor’s three-time all-American Brittany Griner in 2012.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Gabi Haack (BU) - Two more games and two more historical achievements for Bradley fifth-year senior Gabi Haack … During Monday’s game at Northern Illinois, Haack sank 6-of-9 attempts from beyond the 3-point line while breaking the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball record for career 3-point field goals … She finished with a game-high 27 points against the Huskies … By draining another trey to open Friday’s game at Minnesota, Haack joined men’s players Kyle Korver of Creighton (371 from 1999-03) and Shane Hawkins of SIU (314, 1994-98) as the only student-athletes in MVC men’s and women’s basketball history to make 300 career 3-pointers … Sharing game-high honors with 19 points Friday at Minnesota, Haack finished the week with 302 career treys and now is one of nine NCAA Division I women’s basketball student-athletes in the 36-year history of the collegiate 3-point line to make 300 treys (302) and 300 free throws (362) while also corralling 700 rebounds (739) … In Bradley’s two road games last week, Haack averaged 23.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 45.9 percent (17-37) from the field and 47.4 (9-19) percent from 3-point range.
Katie Dinnebier (DU) - MVP of Nugget Classic leading Drake to 3-0 record. Averaged 9.7 pts. 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds. Scored 16 points, including three treys, in first round win vs. Nevada. She dished out career-high eight assists in second round win vs. San Francisco. She had nine points, six assists & career high seven rebounds in final round vs. Idaho.
Del’Janae Williams (INS) - Del’Janae Williams capped off the Sycamores’ three-game road trip this past week with a career-high 26 points in ISU’s win over Georgia Southern at the GATA Turkey Throwdown. Williams went 6-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-7 from behind the arc, and 10-of-12 from the free throw line in the win over the Eagles. Over the week, Williams averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per contest in pacing the Sycamores against Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Georgia Southern.
Allison Day (LUC) - Loyola senior forward Allison Day shot a red-hot 66.7 percent (14-for-21) as she averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds across the Ramblers’ two victories last week. In last Wednesday’s pre-Thanksgiving 96-61 rout of Saint Francis (Ill.), Day was one of five Ramblers to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points (5-8 FGs), three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. The Russellville, Ohio native saved her best for Sunday’s tilt with Miami (Ohio), pouring in 20 points (9-13 FGs, 2-3 FTs) in addition to six rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Day, who has reached double figures in scoring in five of six games this season, leads the Rambler roster in scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg).
Karli Rucker (UNI) - In the Panther’s lone game of the week, Rucker led the way offensively with 20 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Rucker also led the Panthers in minutes on the floor with 38 following a 72-79 loss to the Creighton Bluejays. Rucker was perfect from outside the arc for UNI on Saturday with two 3-point shots falling in the 2nd quarter. She was last 100% from 3-point range against Missouri State on January 15th of 2021.
Carie Weinman (VU) - Weinman led all players with 23 points in Valpo’s lone game last week. The senior hit 9-of-14 from the field in the Beacons’ loss at UIC while also adding four rebounds. It was the ninth game of 20+ points for Weinman in her time at Valpo.
Megan Meyer (DU) - Named to Nugget Classic All tournament team. Meyer averaged 10.0 pts, 3.0 rebounds in three games. She had 13 pts., four rebounds, one blocked shot & one steal vs. Nevada. Meyer added 15 points, three rebounds and one steal vs. San Francisco and five points and four assists vs. Idaho.
Arianna Smith (INS) - Arianna Smith scored a career-high 11 points and led the Sycamores in the scoring column in the week’s opener against Western Kentucky to highlight her Thanksgiving week. The freshman averaged 7.5 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per contest over the two games she lined up in.