Ogwumike, Rowe voted Pac-12 players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-12 Conference office announced today the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Players of the Week for the opening week of the 2013-14 campaign. STANFORD’s Chiney Ogwumike was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week, while OREGON’s Chrishae Rowe was tabbed the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Ogwumike’s selection is the 10th of her career, a new Pac-12 record. Rowe helped the Ducks score a league-record 131 points.

Senior forward Chiney Ogwumike (Cypress, Texas) scored 30 points with 14 rebounds in No. 3/3 Stanford’s 83-71 victory in the team’s season opener at Boston College. She was 11-for-12 from the field and scored at least 30 points for the third time in her career while posting her 59th-career double-double. She led all players in scoring and rebounding in the victory, also going 8-for-10 from the free throw line and adding a pair of blocks and three steals. The 10th-career weekly nod breaks the record of nine set by former Cardinal and Wade Trophy winner Candice Wiggins (2005-08) and tied by Jayne Appel (2007-10) of Stanford. Ogwumike is a Preseason All-American and a national player of the year candidate.

In her first-career collegiate game, Ducks guard Chrishae Rowe (Carson, Calif.) was the second-leading scorer with 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the 3-point line, in a 131-91 win over CS-Bakersfield. Rowe was also a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line, en route to helping UO break both Pac-12 and school records for points and made 3-pointers (20) in its season-opening win. The 131 points broke a Conference record that had stood for 20 years. The Ducks broke their own three-point mark they set last February.

It is Stanford’s 90th all-time player of the week selection and Oregon’s fourth freshman weekly honor.

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 Cardinal remain on the East Coast for a clash against the defending NCAA Champion Connecticut this evening in Storrs, Conn., a game that will be televised on ESPN2. Stanford will then return home for a pair of home games this weekend against Cal Poly on Friday and UC Davis on Sunday. The Ducks stay home for their next two games against Portland on Tuesday and Sacramento State on Sunday.

Also Nominated:
PLAYER: Candice Warthen, ARIZ; Deja Mann, ASU; Afure Jemerigbe, CAL; Katelyn Loper, ORE; Thea Lemberger, UCLA; Ariya Crook, USC; Michelle Plouffe, UTAH; Kelsey Plum, WASH; Tia Presley, WSU.

FRESHMAN: Dejza James, ASU; Mercedes Jefflo, CAL; Emily Potter, UTAH; Kelsey Plum, WASH.

2013-14 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Players of the Week