Maryland women's basketball: Walker-Kimbrough named ACC Rookie of the Week

Perhaps it took so long because it's difficult to stand out on a roster that features the two-time ACC Player of the Year. Perhaps it's simply that standing out on a roster as deep and talented as Maryland's can be difficult. Or perhaps she's simply so quietly efficient that she hasn't drawn the same level of attention of some other freshmen in the ACC. Still, in what I consider to be a "what took you so long" moment, the ACC finally named Shatori Walker-Kimbrough its Rookie of the Week. This is the first such honor for the freshman from Aliquippa, PA.

Shatori was a bit of an under the radar prospect when she committed to Maryland as a high school junior. However, Terrapin head coach Brenda Frese was reportedly thrilled by the news and Walker-Kimbrough's national standing rose during her senior campaign.

Though she has yet to start a game, Shatori has demonstrated early on that Coach Frese's faith was well founded. She is the Terps' second leading scorer, averaging just over eleven points per game behind Alyssa Thomas' 17.6. To date, she's made 53% of her shots. The freshman has actually shot better from behind the arc than in front of it, making an ACC-leading 53.8% of her three point attempts.

For the week that earned her the award, Shatori averaged 16 points in the Terps' two blowout wins in the Terrapin Classic, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team and extending her streak of double digit scoring games to four. Walker-Kimbrough has been consistently productive this season scoring in double digits in 10 of Maryland's 13 games thus far this season.