March 3, 2008

Danielle Gant (Texas A&M) was named Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week while Brittany Spears (Colorado) was chosen Rookie of the Week by a media voting panel for games of Feb. 25-March 2. Gant was recognized for the second consecutive week while Spears was honored for the third time this season.

Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week

Danielle Gant, Texas A&M, G/F, 5-11, Jr, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Gant led then-No. 18 Texas A&M to a 2-0 week while averaging a double-double in wins over No. 17 Oklahoma State (63-57) and No. 8 Baylor (72-53). The Aggies defeated back-to-back Top 25 opponents for the first time this season and recorded their third consecutive 10-win season in league play after rebounding from a 1-4 Big 12 start. The junior combo guard/forward averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks for the week. She was an integral part of an A&M defense which held OSU to a season-low in points and BU to its second-fewest points of the season. Gant also shot a team-leading 57.1 percent from the floor (16-of-28) and went perfect from the free throw line (4-for-4). She turned in her 11th career double-double and fourth of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Baylor which gave A&M its sixth all-time win over a Top 10 ranked opponent. The Oklahoma City native nearly registered a double-double with a team-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting along with a team-best nine rebounds in a second-half comeback win at OSU. Gant currently ranks 10th in the Big 12 in scoring (15.0 ppg), fifth in field-goal percentage (.527), second in free-throw percentage (.796), third in steals (2.4 avg) and second in offensive rebounds (4.1 avg). She moved into the Top 15 among A&M all-time leading scorers with 1,040 career points, which ranks 14th and is sixth all-time in career rebounding (636).

Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week

Brittany Spears, Colorado, F, 6-1, Fr, Pasadena, Calif.

Spears notched back-to-back double-doubles in road games against No. 8 Baylor and Nebraska last week. The 6-1 forward scored 16 points and had a career-high 14 rebounds against the Lady Bears. Spears added 14 points, 11 rebounds and four steals against Nebraska. For the week, the Pasadena, Calif., native averaged 15 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. She's had double-doubles in three of the last five games and is averaging 14.8 points and 10.8 rebounds over that five-game span.