RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the women's basketball players of the week for the sixth week of the 2024-25 season. Harding' Sage Hawley captured Offensive Player of the Week and Southern Arkansas' Elena Lijo-Rodriguez earned Defensive Player of the Week.

#theGAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sage Hawley, F, Harding, Sr., Memphis, Tennessee
Hawley led the Lady Bisons in two conference victories. She scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 23-point win against Arkansas-Monticello. She followed up with 31 points - her third 30-point game of the season - and a season-high 18 rebounds in an overtime win at Henderson State. She shot 67.8 percent from the floor in the two contests.

#theGAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Elena Lijo-Rodriguez, F, SAU, Jr., A Coruna, Spain
Lijo-Rodriguez helped the Muleriders collect wins against Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Tech after she averaged 10.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals. She grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds against the Tigers. Her three steals against Tech also represented a season best. The Muleriders ended a 10-game losing streak to the Golden Suns.

OTHERS NOMINATED

Natalie Cardenas, G (Henderson State), Mackenzie Crusoe, G (Oklahoma Baptist), Bailey Harris, G/F (Arkansas-Monticello),  Caitlin Kobiske, G  (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Crystal Ortiz, G/F (Southern Arkansas), Katie King, G (Southern Nazarene), Camille Thomas, F (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Madeleine Tipton, G (Ouachita Baptist)

Kira Bass, F (Northwestern Oklahoma State), Bobbi Bazzle, F (Henderson State), Hannah Giddey, F (Southern Nazarene), Jill Leslie, F (Oklahoma Baptist), Brooke Smith, F (Ouachita Baptist)

A three-person committee selects all GAC Athlete of the Week awards