Rider's Stella Johnson Named Women's Basketball National Freshman of the Week
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) has named Rider University’s freshman guard Stella Johnson the Women’s Basketball National Freshman of the Week for games ending the week of December 25. Johnson becomes the first Bronc in program history to take home the national weekly honor.
The freshman was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, December 26. Johnson is coming off a week where she scored a career-high 24 points on 9-of-11 (81.8%) shooting from the field in Rider’s 77-60 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.
The Denville, NJ native recorded nine rebounds, four assists, and five steals en route to victory. Johnson made seven straight field goal attempts to start the game and went 5-of-5 from the free-throw line in 34 minutes of play.
Johnson is averaging 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.5 steals per game this season. Her 3.5 steals per game leads the MAAC and ranks 12th in the nation. Johnson ranks second in the conference among freshman averaging 12.1 points per contest. The guard is shooting 58.2 percent from the field, which is the second-highest mark in the MAAC.
Since the 2003-04 season, the USBWA has named a Women's National Freshman of the Year. This is the third season USBWA has honored a national freshman of the week. At the 2012 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Denver, the organization announced going forward that the national and weekly player award has been named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale and another famous name in women’s basketball is being deliberated for the freshman award. At the conclusion of the regular season, the freshman winner will be voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2017 Women’s National Freshman of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA’s annual awards event in Dallas, site of the 2017 NCAA Women’s Final Four.
About the USBWA:
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. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.