Mununga poured in 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Bulls win over Cincinnati last week.
TAMPA (Feb. 21, 2022) – University of South Florida women’s basketball standout Bethy Mununga has been named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 20, the conference announced Monday.
A senior forward from Zellik, Belgium, Mununga poured in 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Bulls in their lone game last week, a 54-45 win over Cincinnati on Feb. 16 in the Yuengling Center. She shot 50 percent (7-for-14) from the floor and was 8-for-14 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line in 40 minutes of action. In addition, Mununga had four steals, one blocked shot and an assist to her credit in the win.
Mununga was a major presence on the glass in the win over the Bearcats grabbing six offensive rebounds which led to a 15-3 advantage in second-chance points for South Florida.
On the year, Mununga – a Katrina McClain Award finalist as the top power forward in the nation – is having another banner season for the Bulls and is one of the most dominating rebounders in women’s basketball. She is currently tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.1 points per game, and is grabbing 11.6 rebounds per outing which are tops in The American and 12th in the nation. In addition, her 289 total rebounds on the year lead the conference and are ninth in the nation.
Mununga has recorded 16 double-figure rebounding games this season and logged 11 double-doubles.
Mununga had back-to-back 20-rebound efforts which included a career-high 23 rebounds against Stanford – and fellow McClain Award finalist Cameron Brink – in the Bulls’ 57-54 win over No. 7-ranked and the defending national champion Cardinal.
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USF recorded its best season in program history during the 2020-21 campaign, all while navigating the unpredictable COVID-19 landscape. In doing so, the Bulls won their first-ever American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and posted their highest ranking in the Associated Press Top25 poll – reaching as high as No. 12 – and made their ninth straight postseason appearance, and sixth NCAA appearance in the last 10 years.
USF has made 16 postseason tournament appearances and had seven NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez’s 21 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, and won nearly 400 career games. For his efforts on the sideline during the 2020-21 season, Fernandez was named a finalist for the WBCA and semifinalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also tabbed the 2021 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
The Bulls posted a 19-4 record and had five players, during the 2020-21 campaign, the Bulls had five players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elisa Pinzan (Most Improved Player, All-Conference Second Team), Maria Alvarez (Co-Sixth Player of the Year), Bethy Mununga (All-Conference First Team), Elena Tsineke (All-Conference First Team), and Sydni Harvey (All-Conference Third Team).
In addition, Harvey was named the American Athletic Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player and to the All-Tournament Team, while Mununga and Tsineke were also All-Tournament selections.
– #GoBulls –
