FRISCO, Texas — Northwestern State guard Nya Valentine has earned this week's Jersey Mike's Southland Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week award, the conference office announced Monday.
Women's Basketball Player of the Week: Nya Valentine, Northwestern State - Gr. - Guard - Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen HS)
Valentine was the closer for the Demons this week, helping earn a pair of marquee victories against two of the Southland Conference's best teams and give the Demons their first 3-0 start in SLC play since 2014-15. In the two wins over McNeese and Lamar, she averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game and making 9-of-19 from deep. Against McNeese, she made a nice pass to Clarence Djuela for the go-ahead layup with two minutes to go before draining a dagger triple late in the game. Against Lamar, she scored seven points down the stretch to lead a nine-point comeback in the final four minutes. Along with her points, she made a great pass to Vernell Atamah for a layup and foul to give the Demons the lead with 1:20 left. She also made multiple huge 3s, including one to tie the score at 54-54 late in the fourth.
2025 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Players of the Week
| Date |
Player of the Week |
| Nov. 10 |
Vernell Atamah, Northwestern State |
| Nov. 17 |
Key Roseby, SFA |
| Nov. 24 |
Lihi Azouri, Southeastern |
| Dec. 1 |
Cha Gardner, SFA |
| Dec. 8 |
Vernell Atamah, Northwestern State |
| Dec. 15 |
Kamryn McLaurin, HCU |
| Dec. 22 |
Nya Valentine, Northwestern State |
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school's sports information director. Voting for one's own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.