Rider’s Stella Johnson Named USBWA National Player of the Week
Rider’s Stella Johnson Named USBWA National Player of the Week
Edison, N.J. (Nov. 26, 2019) – Rider University’s Stella Johnson has been announced as the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week, presented by the U.S Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Johnson is the first player in MAAC history to win the award, which first started during the 2011-12 season on the women’s side.
The USBWA announces National Players of the Week every Tuesday throughout the regular season, presenting the National Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year awards, as well as the Women’s All-American Team, at the annual awards event.
Johnson led the Broncs to a 1-1 week at the inaugural MAAC/ASUN Challenge at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. She averaged 40 points on the weekend, dropping 41 against Lipscomb and 39 against North Florida, shooting over 43 percent from the field. In the two games down south, Johnson averaged six rebounds, two assists, four steals, and 36 minutes of action on the court. For her play, she was named the MAAC/ASUN Challenge Most Valuable Player. The Denville, New Jersey native leads all NCAA Division I players in points per game (30.8) and free throws made (57).
Last Season, Johnson was named the 2018-19 MAAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, and was selected by the league’s 11 head coaches as the 2019-20 Preseason Player of the Year. The senior has started her year by claiming three-straight MAAC Player of the Week awards, leading the Broncs to a 3-2 record with wins over Penn State, Xavier, and Lipscomb.
About the 2020 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit
http://maacsports.com/basketball and follow
@MAACHoops on Twitter.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.