McLean County Times

Doneelah Washington has been recognized as the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. The announcement came from the league office on Monday, following her impressive performance in Illinois State's victory over Chicago State on Sunday.

Washington contributed significantly to her team's success by scoring a season-high 14 points and securing four rebounds within just 13 minutes of play. She managed to score 12 of these points during the first quarter, finishing with a field goal percentage of 62.5% (5-for-8). Her performance marked the highest point tally by any Valley freshman in last week's games.

This achievement marks the fourth time Washington has scored in double figures over the past six games, all coming off the bench. During this period, she is averaging 8.8 points and five rebounds per game while maintaining a shooting accuracy of 52.9% from the field.

Washington's latest accolade follows her previous MVC Freshman of the Week honor on December 2nd, which she earned after averaging 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game at the Gulf Coast Showcase. There, she recorded double-figure scores for the first two times in her collegiate career.

She is among two Valley rookies who have received multiple MVC Freshman of the Week honors this season, alongside Camryn Runner from Evansville. Washington also joins Shannon Dowell on the list of Redbirds players who have achieved this recognition more than once since its introduction by the league office before the start of the 2023-24 season.

Illinois State supporters can find additional information about tickets and merchandise through GoRedbirds.com or via the Illinois State Redbirds App.