INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Fairfield University Women's Basketball freshman Road Runner Meghan Andersen has earned herself attention in the national spotlight. Andersen was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale United States Basketball Writers Association (USWBA) National Player of the Year Watchlist, becoming one of just 40 players nationwide to receive this recognition and one of just four freshmen. Andersen, a 10-time MAAC Rookie of the Week honoree, currently leads the conference in scoring at 16.4 points per game.
 
"While every award and recognition is special, this one is really extraordinary," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "To see Meg's name next to some of the iconic stars in our game is such an amazing moment for her and this program. We've said it to Meg and we've said it to every recruit we have: 'Fairfield is a place you can shine and make it big time,' and this nomination proves the point. She's put the work in every single day, and she's been able to put that on display. This is just the start for Meg and we are so proud of her!"
 
"I'm very thankful for this recognition," Andersen said. "Without my teammates and my coaches, I wouldn't be where I am. I think it's also a testament to how much hard work and dedication my team puts in everyday because without them, the success we are seeing wouldn't be possible."
 
Andersen currently leads the team in four different statistics including: points per game (16.4), rebounds per game (5.3), blocks (31), and 3-pointers made (52). Her 411 points scored so far this season is the second-most by any Fairfield rookie and the highest total since the school's first-ever Division I season in 1981-82.
 
Her ten MAAC Rookie of the Week awards is the third most in conference history while winning a combined 12 conference weekly awards. She ranks in the top-three in the MAAC in five different categories including leading all players in scoring and 3-point percentage (.385).
 
Around the country, she is the second-most accurate shooter among first-year players with her .546 field goal percentage while placing third with her .385 shooting clip from 3-point range. She also ranks seventh among rookies with her 16.4 scoring average.
 
She became the first freshman ever to be named a Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalist earlier this season and also claimed a National Freshman of the Week award after exploding for 30 points at Niagara.
 
In her freshman season, she has led the team in scoring in 15 games while reaching double-figures 21 times. She has eclipsed the 20-point mark in six contests, including breaking the program's rookie single-game scoring record with 30 points against the Purple Eagles.
 
Andersen's success has helped the Stags become one of the best stories in women's college basketball holding a 24-1 overall record, the second-highest winning percentage in the nation. That number includes a 22-game winning streak, also the second-most in the country behind only No. 1 South Carolina.
 
She has also helped the Stags clinch the 2023-24 MAAC Regular Season Championship while currently holding a perfect 16-0 record. The Stags have also received 49 points in the most recent AP Top-25 poll, being the top team in the Others Receiving Votes category.
 
Andersen is one of 40 players around the country on the Watchlist for the prestigious award alongside superstars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, who have previously won the award in the last few years.
 
Andersen and the Stags are back in action when they host in-state rivals Quinnipiac at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Thursday night at 7pm.