Greenbelt native Octavia Jett-Wilson was named the February 16 ESPN National Player of the Week, after averaging 38 points in two basketball games the week prior.
Jett-Wilson, 21, played on the girls varsity basketball team at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS). She also trained with Greenbelt’s “hometown hero” and coach, Brian Butler at the
Springhill Lake Recreation Center. Graduating with the ERHS class of 2017, Jett-Wilson now plays with the women’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
This national player of the week title makes Jett-Wilson the first player in the university program’s 46-year history to earn the honor. This was her fourth athletic honor in the same week, having been voted this past Monday as Conference USA co-Player of the Week, College Sports Madness High-Major National Player of the Week and Conference USA Player of the Week.
Jett-Wilson broke various records in the two games against Old Dominion University on Wednesday, February 10 and Saturday, February 13. Her most exciting game was on Wednesday, a game that went into a gripping double overtime. She scored a career-high 42 points in a single-game, just one of four 40-plus points in a single game in program history. This game also moved her past the 1,000-point mark in her career, becoming the 25th athlete to accomplish this in the school’s history. Also on Wednesday, Jett-Wilson set three single-game school records by making 18 free throws, 21 free throw attempts and 32 field goal attempts.
In an interview with Charlotte’s local Fox News sports correspondent, Jett-Wilson said of her reaction to being named ESPN Player of the Week, “I was shocked … but you know I take it as a blessing for all the hard work I’ve put in.”
Her plans after this year include possibly playing overseas. However, she’s keeping her options open while staying focused on her goal for this year of earning a championship victory with her team.
Haley Kerby is a University of Maryland journalism student writing for the News Review.