By Matthew Fidurko (@Durko33Matt)
1. Jonquel Jones (George Washington) – All the Colonials have done this year is garner a top 25 ranking, win 19 straight games, and start a perfect 10-0 in conference play; the main reason for GW’s success is “Double-Double Machine” and Naismith Player of the Year Candidate Jonquel Jones. In a mid-week blowout against Davidson, Jones posted 12 points and 13 rebounds while in a pivotal weekend victory versus Dayton, Jones monster double-double consisted of 18 points and 18 rebounds.
Early But 110% Safe Prediction: Atlantic 10 Player of the Year
2. Andrea Hoover (Dayton) – Hoover is one the most consistent players in the Atlantic 10. Night-in and night-out Hoover’s production is key to Dayton’s chance of winning. In a Tuesday battle with George Mason, Hoover poured in 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Over the weekend, in clashing of top Atlantic 10 teams, Hoover added a team-high 16 points while pulling down six rebounds.
3. Ally Malott (Dayton) – Malott like Hoover is the definition of consistency. Early in the week versus George Mason added a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds. In a battle against the best the A-10 has to offer, Malott had a quiet but effective 12 points and five rebounds.
4. Taylor Brown (George Mason) – Brown is a flat-out scorer and is doing everything to keep the Patriots in decent shape in conference play. In a mid-week loss to Dayton, Brown poured in 28 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Over the weekend, Brown would score six of the Patriots last eight points, totaling 21 overall, to guide Mason to its fourth conference win of the season.
5. April Robinson (Duquesne) – The Dukes had a week to prepare for VCU and boy did they use their time off to their advantage, dominating the Rams. In the massive victory, Robinson added 13 points. Robinson has really stepped up her game during A-10 play, becoming Duquesne’s leader on the court.
6. Charise Wilson (Rhode Island) – Wilson has not really experienced the ups and down of the usual freshman, however, Sunday afternoon at St. Bonaventure, Wilson was held to only 10 points and fouled out of the game. On the other hand, in mid-week win, she poured in 33 points.
7. Caira Washington (George Washington) – How a team can win seventeen games in a row, be ranked #24 in the nation, and only have one player on this top 10 this is unreal. Well…all is well as Caira Washington has distinguished herself as a top player in the Atlantic 10. Washington was quiet offensively in the Colonials mid-week victory, only scoring four points but adding 10 rebounds. Then, in a pivotal matchup with Dayton, Washington put together a double-double, totaling 11 points and 10 rebounds.
8. Katie Healy (St. Bonaventure) – The Bonnies have been struggling lately and Katie Healy has been shouldering the load, so it was no surprise that during a mid-week battle with UMASS, Healy was quiet, only adding four points and five rebounds; with that being said, Healy put together a quiet but majorly effective 12 point, nine rebound performance in a huge home victory against Rhode Island.
9. Kim Pierre-Louis (UMASS) – Pierre-Louis has turned herself into a complete player. In a mid-week victory for UMASS, Pierre-Louis nearly recorded a double-double, pulling down 15 rebounds but only adding nine points. Over the weekend, in a loss to La Salle, Pierre-Louis nearly recorded another double-double, pouring in a career-high-tying 33 points and pulling down nine rebounds.
10. Natasha Cloud (St. Joseph’s) – Natasha Cloud, formerly known as the “Queen of Assisting” has been doing a lot more scoring lately than dishing. In the Hawks mid-week Big 5 victory over La Salle, Cloud added 13 points and 10 assists, okay, maybe she can have her title back. Then, over the weekend, Cloud notched her 1,000th career point and dished out eight dimes in the Hawk loss to Fordham.
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