Shemera Williams Named the USBWA National Freshman of the Week

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –Virginia women’s basketball guard Shemera Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) has been named the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Week, as announced today (Jan. 14) by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Williams averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 steals, and shot a combined 9-for-18 from the field in wins over Duke and Boston College. In the triumph over the Blue Devils, she had nine points and nine steals. The thefts are the most in any game this season by an ACC player and just one short of the Cavaliers’ program record. Against Boston College, she scored a career-high 17 points, shot 6-for-9 from the field, and was 4-for-5 from the line.

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.