Pac-12 Players of the Week: Arizona State’s Arnecia Hawkins and Cal’s Kristine Anigwe

Cal's Kristine Anigwe, Arizona State's Arnecia Hawkins.
Cal’s Kristine Anigwe, Arizona State’s Arnecia Hawkins.
  • Hoopfeed’s ballot: Player of the Week: Arnecia Hawkins (Arizona State) || Freshman of the Week: Kristine Anigwe (Cal)
    Cheryl Coward, founding editor of Hoopfeed, participates in the weekly Pac-12 voting.

For games played Dec. 21 through 27 Arizona State’s Arnecia Hawkins was voted the Pac-12 Player of the Week for the first time and Cal’s Kristine Anigwe was voted the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the fifth time.

Senior guard Hawkins (Mesa, Arizona) scored a career-high 23 points while playing a career-high 31 minutes in Arizona State’s 68-56 upset of No. 10 Florida State last Monday. She made all seven of her field goal attempts, including a trio of 3-pointers, and was 6-7 from the free throw line. Of her 23 points, 15 came over the last 12:23 of the game, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Hawkins connected on two crucial threes and a pair of free throws late in the game, the foul shots giving the Sun Devils their largest lead of the game, 61-45, with 2:30 left. Hawkins was also part of a defensive effort that held the Seminoles to 19.5 points below their scoring average. It is Hawkins’ first-career player of the week honor and the 38th all-time for ASU.

Despite playing just 32 minutes in No. 21 California’s 150-minute, double overtime tangle with No. 19 UCLA, Anigwe (Phoenix, Ariz.) notched her fourth consecutive double-double and fifth in six games turning in a 25-point, 10-rebound performance in the non-conference tilt. The forward’s work in the paint included five offensive boards, while her defensive effort included one block and two steals without committing a single turnover. Anigwe has scored in double figures in every game this season, including five 20-point performances, and is averaging 30.25 points per game in her last four outings. Anigwe’s five freshman of the week nods is two shy of the single-season record set by Washington’s Kelsey Plum in 2013-14. It is Cal’s eighth weekly rookie honor all-time.

A player of the week has been selected every week since 1986-87, the first year the Conference sponsored women’s sports. A freshman of the week was first selected in 2012-13. The Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week are voted on by a panel of media that regularly cover Pac-12 women’s basketball.

The Sun Devils and Golden Bears’ final non-conference game will be against CS Northridge, with ASU hosting the Matadors today at 3 p.m. MT and Cal hosting on Dec. 30. Cal then travels to face ASU in each team’s Pac-12 opener on Saturday, Jan. 2.

Also Nominated:

PLAYER: Taryn Griffey, ARIZ; Courtney Range, CAL; Jamee Swan, COLO; Gabriella Hanson, OSU; Erica McCall, STAN; Jordin Canada, UCLA; Paige Corzon, UTAH; Kelsey Plum, WASH.

FRESHMAN: Kenney Leonard, COLO; Taylor Kalmer, OSU; Alanna Smith, STAN.

2015-16 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Players of the Week

Date Player Freshman
Nov. 16 Courtney Range, CAL Kristine Anigwe, CAL
Nov. 23 Jordin Canada, UCLA Borislava Hristova, WSU
Nov. 30 Lili Thompson, STAN Kristine Anigwe, CAL
Dec. 7 Jillian Alleyne, ORE Kristine Anigwe, CAL
Dec. 14 Emily Potter, UTAH Kristine Anigwe, CAL
Dec. 21 LiLi Thompson, STAN Maite Cazorla, ORE
Dec. 27 Arnecia Hawkins, ASU Kristine Anigwe, CAL
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