BIG EAST Player of the Week
Sarah Strong, UConn, Jr., F
Strong averaged 23.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game to help UConn post a 2-1 record during the opening week of the season. The junior opened her campaign with 19 points and a career-high eight steals in the Huskies' 100-35 victory over Cornell. She delivered her best performance Sunday, scoring a career-high 39 points in UConn's 91-79 win over No. 10 Iowa. Strong poured in 26 points in the first half alone, including 20 in the second quarter, as she became the eighth player in program history to score at least 39 points in a game. She finished 5-of-10 from 3-point range and added 10 rebounds to record a double-double in the victory.
BIG EAST Rookie of the Week
Jovana Popovic, UConn, Fr., G
Popovic made an immediate impact in her first week of collegiate basketball, averaging 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during a 2-1 stretch for the Huskies. The freshman was highly efficient from the floor, shooting 61.1% from the field, 60.0% from 3-point range and 80.0% from the free-throw line. She opened her collegiate career with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a 100-35 victory over Cornell before delivering a standout 25-point, seven-rebound, four-assist performance at No. 5 Michigan. Popovic capped the week with her third consecutive double-digit scoring effort, tallying 10 points and six assists in UConn's 91-79 victory over No. 10 Iowa.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Louis Volker, DePaul, Sr., F
Volker recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the first two games of the season. She had 11 points and 11 rebounds on 71 percent shooting in the opener against Evansville (W, 90-65) before adding 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in the 87-62 victory against Purdue Fort Wayne. In just 18 minutes against Stonehill, she stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, five rebounds and a career-high seven assists to go with three blocks and three steals in the team’s third straight win.
Destiny Agubata, Georgetown, Jr., G
Agubata helped Georgetown open the season with a perfect 3-0 record, averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while leading the Hoyas in scoring in two of their three victories. Earlier in the week, she led the Hoyas with 15 points and had five rebounds in the season-opening 84-47 win over Delaware State, followed by 17 points with a team-high nine rebounds in the 75-65 victory over American. She ended the week leading all players with 24 points (tying her career high), going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and pulling down six rebounds as Georgetown defeated Saint Peter's 97-37.
Halle Vice, Marquette, Sr., F
Vice posted her first double-double of the season in the 80-42 win against Mississippi Valley State with game-highs of 17 points and 16 rebounds. The 16 rebounds were the second-most in a game in her career. She then scored a game-high-tying 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, against Minnesota. The 25 points were the second-most in a game in her career. Vice added six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Ja’Kahla Craft, Seton Hall, Jr., G
Craft led Seton Hall in both scoring and rebounding last week as the Pirates opened the season with a pair of victories over Mercyhurst and Indiana State. In the season’s first game on Tuesday, she had eight points, five rebounds and three steals in the dominant 63-37 win over Mercyhurst. On Friday, Craft collected her first career double-double, finishing one point shy of her career high with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Craft also set a career high with 12 rebounds as the team downed Indiana State 74-56.
Lucile Jerome, Xavier, Sr., G
Jerome helped lead Xavier to a 2-0 start to the season, averaging 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists per game. The fourth-year guard made an immediate impact offensively, shooting 57.6 percent from the field (19-of-33), while connecting on six 3-pointers (6-of-16). In the team’s 91-78 win over Northwestern, Jerome tied for the team lead with 22 points as Xavier earned its first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2016.