Plattsburgh State’s Welch, Hendrix’s Brady are USBWA Division III National Players of the Week

Plattsburgh State’s Welch, Hendrix’s Brady are USBWA Division III National Players of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – Reem Welch of Plattsburgh State University (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Riley Brady of Hendrix College (Conway, Ark.) were named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Players of the Week for the period ending February 8.

Welch, a 6-1 senior guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., established a program record and produced late-game heroics for Plattsburgh State last week. In the Cardinals’ 81-62 loss to Cortland (RV, D3hoops.com) on Friday, he scored a career-high 36 points (13-of-26 FG, 6-of-6 FT, 4-of-7 3FG) while also contributing seven rebounds, an assist and a steal. The next day, Welch bested that performance with a program-record 49 points (14-of-24 FG, 21-of-23 FT) in a 100-98 victory over Morrisville. He made all three free throws to tie the game with 23 seconds left, then stole the ball on the ensuing possession and hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer. Welch added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the victory. For the week, he averaged 42.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 54.0 percent (27-of-50) from the field, 93.1 percent (27-of-29) from the foul line and 40.0 percent (4-of-10) from three-point range. For his efforts, Welch was also named the State University of New York (SUNY) Player of the Week.

Brady, a 5-10 junior forward from Little Rock, Ark., averaged 20-20 as Hendrix swept a pair of conference contests. In Friday’s 72-55 win over Centenary (La.), she tied a program record with 38 points (11-of-15 FG, 16-of-20 FT) and added 17 rebounds, an assist and two steals. Then, in the Warriors’ 74-69 overtime victory against LeTourneau on Saturday, Riley scored 28 points (9-of-15 FG, 10-of-12 FT), including the game-tying basket to force overtime, and pulled down 30 rebounds, the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division III this season (she has three of the top-five single-game totals), while also contributing an assist and six steals. For the week, she averaged 33.0 points, 23.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 4.0 steals while shooting 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from the field and 81.3 percent (26-of-32) from the foul line. For her efforts, Brady, who is second in the nation in rebounds per game (19.0), was also selected the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Player of the Week.

Each Tuesday, the USBWA is selecting men’s and women’s Division III National Players of the Week. This is the 11th season that the USBWA will recognize national players of the week from Division III.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.

2025-26 USBWA Division III National Players of the Week
• Week ending Nov. 9: Sam Grieger, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse; Mary Schleusner, Washington & Lee University
• Week ending Nov. 16: Marcus Montagnino, Endicott College; Alexa Charles, Hunter College
• Week ending Nov. 23: Reph Stevenson, DePauw University; Elaina Beckett, McDaniel College
• Week ending Nov. 30: Quamir Ingram, Greensboro College; Caroline Peper, NYU
• Week ending Dec. 7: Joey Ramirez, Concordia University (Texas); Jaycie Christopher, University of Southern Maine
• Week ending Dec. 14: Elijah Kinney, Endicott College; Anna Giannopoulou, Guilford College
• Week ending Jan. 4: Scott Gyimesi, Tufts University; Elyse Warren, Millsaps College
• Week ending Jan. 11: Lamar Lovelace, Keuka College; Mary Schleusner, Washington & Lee University
• Week ending Jan. 18: Fletcher Bigham, Sewanee, The University of the South; Emma Shinney, Endicott College
• Week ending Jan. 25: Darren Rubin, New York University; Mary Schleusner, Washington & Lee University
• Week ending Feb. 1: Zevi Samet, Yeshiva University; Madi Zancan, Regis College
• Week ending Feb. 8: Reem Welch, Plattsburgh State University; Riley Brady, Hendrix College