LA JOLLA, Calif.—After a standout performance at Stanford, UC San Diego women's basketball guard
Sumayah Sugapong was named Big West Player of the Week, as announced Monday by the conference.
It is the second conference weekly nod for Sugapong, who also earned the honor as a freshman in 2023. It marks the fifth weekly award for the Tritons since joining the Big West in 2020-21.
The sophomore guard set UC San Diego's Division I single-game record with seven steals in Friday's contest, helping the Tritons force a season-high 25 turnovers for Stanford. It was also the most turnovers for the Cardinal in nearly 10 seasons (26 vs Santa Clara, Nov. 23, 2015).
The San Diego native scored a season-best 21 points—four shy of her career high—and also led the Tritons in rebounds (6), assists (3) and steals (7) against the Cardinal.
Sugapong scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half and collected six steals to help the Tritons force 15 second-half turnovers for the Cardinal. UC San Diego outscored Stanford 14-5 in points off turnovers in the second half and had a +2 margin in the final two quarters of play due in large part to Sugapong's performance.
The Tritons return to LionTree Arena this week to open Big West play against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday at 7 p.m.
PAST WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
Sumayah Sugapong (Dec. 2, 2024)
Sumayah Sugapong (Dec. 25, 2023)
Izzy Forsyth (Feb. 20, 2023)
Emily Cangelosi (Nov. 21, 2022)
Sydney Brown (Feb. 22, 2021)
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
