Minnesota and Rutgers Earn Weekly Women’s Basketball Awards

Golden Gophers’ Sara Scalia and Scarlet Knights’ Arella Guirantes are this week’s honorees
Player of the Week
Arella Guirantes, Rutgers
G – Jr. – Bellport, N.Y. – Bellport – Major: Journalism & Media Studies
Named MVP of the Junkanoo Jam (Junkanoo Division) last weekend after averaging 18.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a double-double in wins over Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech
Posted a double-double (19 points/11 rebounds) in the tournament title game against previously-unbeaten Georgia Tech, including 3-of-4 free throws in the final 49 seconds to secure the three-point win
Helped Rutgers to the tournament championship, its first Thanksgiving weekend title since the 2015 Paradise Jam (Island Division)
Earns her second Big Ten Player of the Week award and second this season
Last Rutgers Player of the Week: Arella Guirantes (Nov. 11, 2019)
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Ali Patberg, Jr., G, IND: Named to Paradise Jam (Reef Division) All-Tournament Team with 15.7 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 3.0 apg. and a .600 FG% during a 2-1 tournament week, including 16 points in a Thanksgiving night win over No. 5/6 South Carolina
Blair Watson, Sr., G, MD: Averaged 14.0 ppg. and 5.5 rpg. with a .556 FG% and .571 3FG% last week in wins over Clemson and Belmont at the Daytona Beach Invitational
Kamaria McDaniel, Jr., G, PSU: Earned a spot on the Cal Classic All-Tournament Team with 19.5 ppg. and 3.0 rpg. in two games last week, including a career-high 27 points against North Carolina Central
Freshman of the Week
Sara Scalia, Minnesota
G – Stillwater, Minn. – Stillwater – Major: Undeclared (Business)
Scored a career-high (and game-best) 20 points and matched her personal high with seven rebounds in Minnesota’s 101-56 win over Bryant on Nov. 26
Connected on 8-of-11 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range
Paced the Golden Gophers to their highest point total under second-year head coach Lindsay Whalen
Collects her first Freshman of the Week award
Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Destiny Pitts (Feb. 19, 2018)