NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – After helping lead James Madison women’s basketball to its best start in league play as members of the Sun Belt Conference at 7-0, Peyton McDaniel was named the league’s Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon.

The honor is McDaniel’s second of the 2024-25 campaign and third of her career. She joins Ro Scott as the only Dukes to earn weekly conference laurels this season.

McDaniel continued her run of stellar play, averaging 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game as JMU took down Marshall (93-65, Jan. 15) and Coastal Carolina (74-54, Jan. 18) on the road. On Thursday, the redshirt junior finished with 15 points and six rebounds, hitting 3-of-6 (.500) from deep to go along with two steals and a block to sweep the Thundering Herd. In Conway, S.C., McDaniel notched her fifth double-double of the season and 13th in her career with 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Chanticleers, pacing all players in both categories.

The Birdsboro, Pa. native leads the Sun Belt in scoring (18.4 ppg) and is second in field goal percentage (57.0) in league play. Through seven conference games, McDaniel has knocked down 17-of-40 (.425) from deep and has hit three or more triples in five of those contests.

The Dukes are back in Harrisonburg to host Southern Miss on Thursday, Jan. 23. Action inside the Atlantic Union Bank Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

— JMU Athletics —