PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Kaylene Smikle of the Rutgers women's basketball team has picked up her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Monday afternoon. She is the first freshman in program history to win two Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards in the same season.
The weekly honor is the second for Rutgers this season under head coach Coquese Washington. This is also the third Freshman of the Week honor for RU all-time, after Diamond Johnson picked up the first on Dec. 21, 2020 and Smikle was chosen earlier this season on Dec. 19, 2022.
Smikle is also just the third player in program history to earn a conference weekly award twice in a season as Arella Guirantes did it twice (2019-20 & 2020-21).
The freshman led the Scarlet Knights to split a pair of league contests this past week, falling to then. No. 17/18 Maryland (67-78) and defeating Nebraska (57-45) for the team's first Big Ten win of the season. Smikle led scoring in both affairs, netting a career-high 29 against the Terps and 20 versus the Cornhuskers to average 24.5 points between the two outings. She paces the team with 16.7 points per game as well as averaging 22 against conference foes.
In addition, the guard grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against UMD plus six boards at the hands of Nebraska to average 7.5 off the glass. She also registered two assists and 2.5 steals over the week.
Smikle has now reached 20+ points seven times this season and is the only Scarlet Knight to pass the 20-point milestone this season. She also paces the team with 13 double-digit outings and has reached 18+ points in the most recent five games.
The Farmingdale, New York product has been solid from three-point range, recording four shots from deep against Maryland and three versus Nebraska. She tops the stats with 33 three's this season has hit at least one shot from beyond the arc in every contest this season and has cashed in on two or more shots from deep in the last six outings.
Big Ten Weekly Awards – Jan. 9
Player of the Week: Taylor Mikesell, Grad., G, Ohio State
Freshman of the Week: Kaylene Smikle, G, Rutgers
Honor Roll
Kendall Bostic, Jr., F, Illinois
Mackenzie Holmes, Sr., F, Indiana
Leigha Brown, 5th-Yr., G, Michigan
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