Women's Basketball

MVC Women's Basketball Weekly Notebook (Jan. 5)

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Valley Conference announced its women's basketball weekly award winners on Monday. For the second time this season, Drake's Abbie Aalsma has been named the MVC Player of the Week while Murray State's Sharnecce Currie-Jelks has been tabbed the league's Newcomer of the Week for the third time. For the fourth-consecutive week, and fifth time overall, Bradley's Maya Foz has been selected as the MVC Freshman of the Week. 

Conference News & Notes
  • Home teams have gone undefeated the new calendar year, posting a 9-0 record.
  • Four teams remain undefeated in Valley play heading into this week’s action. UNI and Belmont are 4-0, while Drake (3-0) and Murray State (3-0) are also unbeaten. 
  • The Racers carry the league’s longest winning streak at 10-straight victories after a pair of double-overtime wins against Illinois State and Bradley. Murray State currently has the 10th-longest active win streak in Division I. 
  • Three programs - Bradley (6-0), Illinois State (6-0) and Murray State (6-0) - are unbeaten at home this season.
  • Four teams are inside the Top 150 of the NET, with Belmont (91) and Murray State (92) leading the way. 
  • With its win over Southern Illinois on Friday, Drake became the 37th program in NCAA history to tally 1,000 all-time victories.
  • UIC’s Sara Zabrecky moved into 10th all-time in program history in made 3-pointers, sitting at 117.
  • Seven players in The Valley averaged at least 20.0 points per game last week. Three players - Illinois State’s Doneelah Washington, Murray State’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks and UNI’s Ryley Goebel - averaged a double-double.
  • Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie is one MVC win away from reaching 100 in her career. When she accomplishes this feat, she will be one of just 10 coaches in MVC history to reach triple digits.
  • Murray State’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks posted back-to-back 20 point-20 rebound outings in a pair of double-overtime wins over Illinois State. The junior is the first player in Division I to accomplish this feat since 2019 and just the third player since 2003 to ever do so.
  • Four players shot over 60% from the floor last week, led by UNI’s Ryley Goebel, who shot 65.7% from the field. She also recorded a pair of double-doubles, while scoring a career-high 23 points against UIC.
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ABBIE AALSMA, DRAKE
Senior | Guard | Waupun, Wis. | Illinois State
29.5 PPG | 63% FG | 56% 3FG | 4.0 RPG | 9 AST
Senior guard Abbie Aalsma put together a career week, leading Drake to two MVC victories while averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. The sharpshooter connected at a blistering rate, shooting 63.2 percent overall and a league-best 56.3 percent from three-point range. Aalsma opened the week with a career-high 30 points at UIC before following it with 29 more in Drake’s home win over Southern Illinois. Her 30-point output marked the second 30-point game by a player in The Valley this season. 

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK: SHARNECCE CURRIE-JELKS, MURRAY STATE
Junior | Forward | Jackson, Tenn. | Indiana University
21.3 PPG | 62% FG | 18.7 RPG | 10 STL | 9 BLK
Junior forward Sharnecce Currie-Jelks delivered a historic week, recording back-to-back 20-point, 20-rebound performances to place herself among elite national company. She averaged 21.3 points and 18.7 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent from the floor, becoming just the third Division I player since 2003 to post consecutive 20–20 games. Currie-Jelks also secured a trio of double-doubles last week, bringing her season total to 11, which is tied for the second-most in Division I.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: MAYA FOZ, BRADLEY
Freshman | Guard | Ontario, Canada | Fort Erie International Academy 
20.0 PPG | 47% FG | 4.5 RPG | 4 AST | 4 STL
Freshman guard Maya Foz continued her strong debut season with a standout week against top Missouri Valley Conference competition, averaging 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. After snagging a career-high six rebounds to go with 11 points against the Bruins, Foz saved her best performance for a double-overtime battle against Murray State, erupting for a career-high 29 points while stepping in at point guard after a late foul-out.