DENVER – Utah Valley freshman guard Rhaiah Spooner-Knight has been named Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 23-29. This is her first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Hamilton, New Zealand, native, recorded her second-consecutive 20-point performance in the Wolverines’ 89-49 win over New Orleans, its largest margin of victory in the NCAA Division I era. In leading Utah Valley to its second-straight non-conference win, the true freshman finished with 20 points on 61.5 percent shooting and hauled in a team-high nine rebounds to finish just shy of her first career double-double. Spooner-Knight also nabbed two steals and dished out an assist.
Other nominees included: Tierra Williams of Chicago State finished with 21 points on 72.7 shooting, five rebounds, three steals and two assists in one game last week ... Grand Canyon’s Deanna Daniels averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 2.0 assists as the Antelopes went 2-0 on the week ... Eilise O’Connor of Kansas City finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals as the Kangaroos went 0-1 on the week ... New Mexico State’s Danesia Williamson averaged 18.7 points and 2.0 steals over three games last week ... Sylvia Shephard of Seattle U was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in a loss last week ... Texas-Pan American’s Shawnte’ Goff finished with 11 points on 80 percent shooting and five rebounds in a loss to No. 13 Oklahoma State.