Mulkey Named USBWA National Freshman of the Week

NORMAN – Oklahoma center Nancy Mulkey has been named the National Freshman of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USWBA), the organization announced on Tuesday.

Mulkey is the first OU women's basketball player to be named USBWA Freshman of the Week, although Courtney Paris claimed the organization's National Freshman of the Year Award in 2006.

The Cypress, Texas, native earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors Monday, averaging 11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 blocks per game in OU's first two conference games of the year. The 6.5 block average in the opening week of league play led the conference and was 3.0 rejections higher than any other player in the league. The freshman finished with a team-high .714 shooting percentage in OU's two wins and recorded 6.5 blocks per game last week.

In her first career start at Kansas, Mulkey nearly finished with a triple-double, picking up career highs of 14 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks against the Jayhawks. Mulkey's seven blocks are tied for the fifth-most in a single game by an OU player in school history.

She followed her performance on Sunday by recording a team-high six blocks in against TCU in 16 minutes of action. Mulkey was 4-of-5 from the field and scored eight points versus the Horned Frogs. She also added in five rebounds in the 87-72 victory.

Mulkey leads the Sooners and ranks 16^th in the nation with 34 blocks this season. Her 34 blocks already rank as the fourth-most in school history by an OU freshman.

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.

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.

The Sooners continue Big 12 play on Wednesday night as they host No. 25 Kansas State at 7 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center. The game will be televised on Fox College Sports Central. Tickets for the game are available here.

For more information on Oklahoma women's basketball, follow the Sooners on Twitter (@OU_WBBall) or like Oklahoma Sooners Women's Basketball on Facebook.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Mulkey Named USBWA National Freshman of the Week

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