University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC's Atkinson Tabbed ACC Rookie Of The Week
December 23, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2002
North Carolina women's basketball freshman La'Tangela Atkinson has earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors for the second time this season. The 6-1 guard/forward registered double-doubles in both of UNC's games last week, averaging 14 points and 11.5 rebounds as the Tar Heels beat Elon and No. 18 South Carolina.
At home against the Phoenix on Dec. 17, Atkinson led the Tar Heels with 16 points and 12 rebounds in an 83-50 win. On Dec. 20, playing in her home state for the first time in her college career, she scored 12 points and grabbed a team-best 11 rebounds as UNC beat the previously-undefeated Gamecocks 78-69 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Atkinson is the Tar Heels' leading rebounder with 8.2 per game and ranks a close second to junior center Candace Sutton in scoring with 12.7 points per game. Voted the ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year, she earned her first Rookie of the Week honor on Dec. 2.
This week's ACC Player of the Week honors went to Duke guard Alana Beard, who averaged 23.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, four assists and six steals in leading the Blue Devils to victories over Charleston Southern, Florida International and Tulsa.
UNC returns to action on Dec. 29, hosting Charleston Southern at 2 p.m. The Tar Heels finish up 2002 with a home game against American on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. and open ACC play at Georgia Tech on Jan. 2.
