FAIRFAX, Va. – For the first time this season, and fourth time of her career, junior women's basketball player Nicole Cardaño-Hillary has been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
 
The Madrid, Spain native averaged 32.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game to lead Mason (4-1) to two wins during the week of Nov. 18-24. She shot 51.1 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from deep and 93.8 percent from the free throw line.
 
The 5-foot-7 point guard dropped a career-high 41 points to go along with a season-high seven rebounds in Mason's first-ever win over Penn State, 78-68, on Sunday in University Park, Pa. She shot 50.0 percent from the field (13-26), 40.0 percent from deep (2-5) and 92.9 from the free throw line (13-14). 
 
Her 41 points are tied for the third most by a Division I women's basketball player this season and tied for the sixth most in Atlantic 10 history. The mark is also the most by an Atlantic 10 women's basketball player this year.
 
In Mason's 73-55 win over American on Thursday, Cardaño-Hillary scored 17 of her team-high 23 points in the second half, hitting 7-of-12 from the floor during the third and fourth quarters combined. She finished shooting 3-of-5 from behind the arc (.600) and 9-of-17 from the floor (.529). 
 
The reigning A-10 Player of the Year is averaging 22.6 points per game – good for 11th in Division I women's basketball. 
 
Cardaño-Hillary was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list on Oct. 21, given to the nation's top point guard. She returns to action Tuesday at home against Kansas City. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at EagleBank Arena.