Editor's note: Charlie Creme, Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel each vote to determine espnW's national player of the week, which is awarded every week of the women's college basketball season.
Putting up gigantic numbers isn't always enough to earn espnW player of the week honors. Because, hey, there are a lot of big stats achieved by players across the country every week. There are other factors to weigh, such as the quality of opponent, the team's result, etc.
So if you're thinking that just because Minnesota's Rachel Banham scored 60 points Sunday means she ended all discussion for the award this week ... uh, yes. Actually, that's exactly what happened.
Seriously -- 60 points? Wow. Even those dogs who were driving cars and successfully conspiring to steal Doritos on commercials Sunday were impressed by Banham's point production in a 112-106 double-overtime victory at Northwestern.
The fifth-year senior guard was 19-of-32 from the field -- with eight 3-pointers -- and 14-of-16 from the line. She also had 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting in an 85-72 victory Thursday over Rutgers. Banham had a combined 14 rebounds, eight assists and five steals in those two games.
Sunday, she tied former Long Beach State post player Cindy Brown (Feb. 16, 1987) for the NCAA single-game scoring record. The late Kim Perrot, a Louisiana-Lafayette guard who went on to play for the WNBA's Houston Comets, scored 58 points in a college game, as did Drake forward Lorri Bauman. (Bauman still holds the record for most points in an NCAA tournament game, with 50 in 1982.)
Wondering how Banham's 60 measures up to another 5-foot-9 guard, NCAA all-time scoring leader Jackie Stiles of Missouri State? Stiles' single-game high was 56 against Evansville in 2000.
Fate has not always been as kind to Banham: Last season was supposed to be her senior season, and a chance to play another season alongside center Amanda Zahui B. Their hope was to get the Gophers to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.
But on Dec. 10, 2014, Banham suffered a torn ACL, and had to redshirt. However, Minnesota ended up making the NCAA field, losing in the first round to DePaul. With Banham and Zahui B. both back, the Gophers might have been a contender to win the Big Ten this season.
But Zahui B. declared early for the WNBA draft last spring, and was the second overall pick. Banham returned with all the more weight on her to try to make her first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
And a game like Sunday's will help in that regard. The Gophers are 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the league. Minnesota has won six of its past seven games, and is back at home to take on Nebraska on Thursday and Iowa on Feb. 15.
Also considered: Maryland's Shatori Walker-Kimbrough gets special mention. Of all the weeks to score a combined 71 points in two games.
Walker-Kimbrough had 41 (17-of-21 from the field) against Purdue on Tuesday, one short of the school record for points, in an 87-67 victory. Then on Friday, she had 30 points in an 85-76 victory over Michigan State.
Incidentally, the Gophers and Terps finish the regular season facing off at Maryland on Feb. 28 (ESPN2, 5 p.m. ET).
Previous winners: Kelsey Mitchell (Nov. 29) | Courtney Walker (Nov. 22) | Vanessa Panousis (Dec. 6) | Makayla Epps (Dec. 13) | Megan Podkowa (Dec. 20) | Kelsey Mitchell (Jan. 4) | Stephanie Brunner (Jan. 11) | A'ja Wilson (Jan. 18) | Jessica Shepard (Jan. 25) | Lili Thompson (Jan. 31)