CHICAGO — Chicago State freshman guard Aaliyah Collins has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's National Freshman of the Week, the organization announced Tuesday.
Collins' selection marks the first-ever USBWA honor for a Chicago State student-athlete. In addition, she becomes the first player in WAC women's basketball history to win Freshman of the Week, and the freshman is the first mid-major player to earn it since Nov. 24, 2019 (Aislynn Hayes, Middle Tennessee).
"I came to this school with a goal to not only be successful individually, but to help bring my team and this program to success as well," Collins said. "I am beyond blessed and grateful to receive this award and it makes me think 'what's next?' and 'what else am I capable of?'
"It's a great feeling to have, but at the same time, it's one feeling to be successful individually and a whole other feeling to be successful as a team. I am going to continue leading the way while also striving for more so that I can continue to grow and succeed and to set an example for my teammates. Anything can be accomplished with the right mindset and hard work.
Collins' USBWA recognition comes on the heels of her fourth WAC Freshman of the Week honor following a week in which she averaged 19.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
"This is a huge accolade for Aaliyah," head coach Tiffany Sardin said. "She's such a special young individual and player. It speaks to the hard work she's put in. We look forward to watching her grow and continuing to make things happen for us. I'm so excited for her. It speaks to her work ethic. It doesn't just happen to anybody. You have to earn it. She works so hard in practice and on the court. We're so proud of her.
"It's also so special for Chicago State athletics. We're on the way. When you have the right people in place, good things happen. She's working extremely hard to help this program be better. This isn't just Aaliyah's award. It's for the team, for Chicago State women's basketball and for the institution as a whole."
Kickstarting the tremendous stretch was Collins' first collegiate double-double. In her homecoming to Seattle, the former Washington State Player of the Year dropped 26 points and 10 rebounds in a 64-57 win over Seattle U.
This season, Collins leads the Cougars and ranks fourth in the WAC with 16.1 points per game. Collins' scoring average also falls sixth all-time in Chicago State's history.
But Collins' most impressive trait has been her tenacious defense. With 2.7 steals per game, she has racked up the second-most in the conference and 20th-most in NCAA Division I.
Collins has scored in double figures in 12 of her first 14 games at the collegiate level. The 26-point barrage in Seattle also marked her fifth game with at least 20 points.
On November 22, Collins poured in 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting at Wisconsin, an overtime 71-63 win for the Cougars that served as the program's first win in two years. The Seattle U victory was Chicago State's first WAC win since Jan. 2020.
Collins and the Cougars are in the midst of a bye week but return to the hardwood on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. at the Jones Convocation Center against New Mexico State.
About Chicago State
Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title and made an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet.
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