NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Atlantic 10 Conference has named Rhode Island sophomore Marie-Paule Foppossi A-10 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Massachusetts freshman Ber’Nyah Mayo was chosen as the league’s Rookie of the Week. The awards which are the final weekly awards of the season and are presented by Air Force Reserve, were announced Monday and are for games played Feb. 22-28.
Foppossi led the Rams to a 2-0 week with wins over Richmond and VCU, averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. Foppossi exploded in Rhody’s statement win over VCU, pouring in a career-high 32 points on 12-of-16 (75 percent) from the floor. She made 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line, and made both of her shot attempts from long range. A forward from Strasbourg, France, she dished out a career-best six assists and filled her stat line with four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in Rhode Island’s first win over VCU in program history. In Rhody’s win over Richmond, Foppossi scored 15 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had three assists.
Mayo posted a team-leading 18.5 points per game during the split weekend, turning in a 56.5 percent clip from the floor and 75 percent showing from downtown. A guard from Wilmington, Del., put down a career-best 20 points in a heartbreaking loss to VCU on Feb. 26. It was the first 20-point performance by a UMass freshman since March 8, 2019 and first in the regular season since 2018-19. Mayo also added 17 points in the Feb. 28 win over Richmond, along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
HONOR ROLL
Davidson’s Kelly Fitzgerald shot 70 percent and scored a career-high 17 points against Dayton during senior day … Kyla Whitehead led Dayton to a win at Davidson, clinching the A-10 regular season championship with a double-double performance of 14 points and 11 rebounds, to go with two assists… Gabby Nikitinaite helped lead George Washington to its fourth straight win with a season-high 22 points against George Mason, shooting 5-of-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc and 8-of-14 (57.1%) overall… Ali Brigham finished a rebound shy of her first career double-double in a GW win over George Mason, scoring 12 points on 6-of-15 shooting (40%) with nine rebounds…La Salle’s Kayla Spruill averaged 20.5 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game, shooting an impressive 70.6% from the floor, 50.0% from long range, and 86.7% from the line in a 1-1 week… Massachusetts’ Sam Breen averaged a double-double (16.5 ppg, 14 rpg) in a 1-1 week for the Minutewomen, contributing 18 rebounds in a win against Richmond, a career-high and the most by a Massachusetts player since the 2017-18 season… Richmond’s Kate Klimkiewicz averaged 19.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game in two games this week, shooting 44.4 percent (12-for-27) and 50 percent from downtown (5-for-10)… Tori Harris averaged 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in three games last week for St. Bonaventure, registering double figures in each of the three games… Saint Joseph's Katie Jekot averaged 14.5 points per game in SJU's 2-0 weekend, pouring in a game-high 16 points (6-of-15 FG), matching a career-high four three-pointers, with a game-high six assists in SJU's 66-63 win over St. Bonaventure, then followed with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field in a win over Duquesne… Myriama Smith Traore pulled down a season-best 17 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, in Saint Louis' win at Davidson, nearly collecting her fourth double-double of the season, tallying nine points in the game with one block and one steal.