Year: 2021

ATHENS, Ga. — Jenna Staiti, who has scored in double figures in four-straight games and in 42 of the last 49 contests overall, has been named the ESPN National Player of the Week and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, it was announced Tuesday.

Steady Staiti has been sensational in her final season in Athens. She has led No. 12-ranked Georgia to an 11-1 record, averaging nearly a double-double of 14.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Last week, the Cumming, Ga., had dominant performance against one of the nation’s best players when she scored 21 points to go with 11 rebounds against No. 2-ranked NC State. Going against 2021 All-American and Preseason ACC Player of the Year Elissa Cunane, Staiti hit close to 60 percent from the field, nailed three 3-pointers and tied a season-high with six blocks. She played almost the entire way and helped Georgia to its first true road win against a top-2 team in program history.

Staiti followed that performance with 16 points against St. Francis and 17 versus South Alabama. She has hit 15-of-17 (88 percent) from the field over the last two games.

This is the latest honor of Staiti’s distinguished career. She was a 2021 All-SEC selection, made the SEC All-Tournament Team and was a 2021 WBCA All-America honorable mention honoree. Entering this year, Staiti landed on the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List for the nation’s best center and the Naismith National Player of the Year Watch List.

The Lady Bulldogs are off the rest of this week to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Georgia returns home to host No. 21-ranked LSU on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. ET.

• Georgia is back at Stegeman Coliseum for its final non-conference game of the year. The Lady Bulldogs host South Alabama at noon ET on SEC Network +. Jeff Dantzler will call the action on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
• The Lady Bulldogs defeated St. Francis, 82-45, on Sunday. It marked the sixth time this season Georgia has held an opponent below 50 points.
• This is the fifth all-time meeting between these programs. Georgia owns a 4-0 lead in the series, with the last contest coming in 1991 — a 77-61 Georgia victory.
• The Lady Bulldogs moved up four spots to No. 13 in the latest Associated Press top-25. The USAToday/WBCA Coaches Poll will be released on Tuesday.
• Georgia has two wins against teams ranked in the top-12 of the latest NET rankings (No. 3 NC State and No. 12 Notre Dame).
• The Lady Bulldogs’ 82-80 overtime victory against NC State last Thursday marked Georgia’s first true road win against a top-2 team in program history.
• It was, however, Georgia’s second victory against a top-2 team in the last year. The Lady Bulldogs also defeated No. 2 Texas A&M this past March in the SEC tournament semifinals.
• Steady Staiti has scored in double figures in three-straight games and for the 41st time in 48 games. Staiti proved once again why she is one of the best centers in the country, recording a double-double of 21 points and 11 boards against Preseason ACC Player of the Year and 2021 All-American Elissa Cunane of NC State.
• Staiti was named the ESPN National Player of the Week for her efforts in the last two games. In addition to her performance against NC State, she went 7-of-8 from the field and scored 16 points against St. Francis.
• As a team, Georgia leads the SEC in 3-point field-goal percentage defense and is top-5 in scoring defense (51.5 ppg), blocks (7.0 per game), field-goal percentage defense (34 percent) and turnovers forced (19.9 per game).
• Georgia dished out 28 assists on 34 made field goals against St. Francis. The Lady Bulldogs lead the SEC in total assists (192) and are second in assists per game (17.5).

Georgia has now won 18 of its last 22 games dating back to last season. During the stretch going back to Feb. 4, 2021, Georgia has defeated five ranked teams, including No. 2 ranked Texas A&M and second-ranked NC State.

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