INDIANAPOLIS — After a couple of dominant performances last week, Irish forward Liatu King has been named one of five USBWA National Players of the Week. It is her first time earning the honor, and for the first time ever, five different players from the same team have notched a USBWA weekly accolade in the same season (Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo, Kate Koval, Olivia Miles).
King was a critical part of Notre Dame’s wins against Wake Forest and Clemson on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. Against the Demon Deacons, King had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals while shooting 8-13 from the floor. At Clemson, the 6-0 graduate student from Washington, D.C., led the Irish with 23 points and 11 rebounds, her second 20-point double-double of the year. Of her 23 points, 11 came in the fourth quarter. She was 10-14 from the floor and hit eight jump shots on the day.
Overall this season, King has been one of the quietly most dominant players in the nation. She is one of two ACC players averaging a double-double (13.5/11.3) and ranks fifth nationally in rebounds/game. She is also pacing the ACC with a 59 percent success rate from the floor. King has eight double-doubles and has recorded 10+ rebounds in 13 of the 15 games in which she has played.
No. 3 Notre Dame will be back in action on Thursday as the Irish host No. 17 Georgia Tech. The game will air on the ACC Network and begins at 6 p.m. Notre Dame is 18-1 all-time against the Yellow Jackets.