PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland Pilots freshman forward Annika Holopainen, who scored 26 points last Thursday at Saint Mary’s, is the West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week. Holopainen averaged 15.5 points per game last week, shot 57.1 percent from the field and averaged 6.5 rebounds as the Pilots split a pair of conference road games.
 
Holopainen also hit four of nine three-pointers (.444) and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
 
Against the Gaels, Holopainen was a ridiculous 10 of 13 from the floor en route to a game-high in points as the Pilots almost pulled off the upset against the Gaels. Holopainen scored 19 points in the second half as the Pilots came back from a 15-point deficit to take the lead, but Saint Mary’s would ultimately prevail 58-53.
 
Holopainen, a native of Helsinki, Finland, followed that performance with a career-high eight rebounds at Pepperdine on Saturday as the Pilots rolled to a 73-34 win over the Waves. Holopainen is currently second on the team in scoring with a 9.9 points per game clip and she’s averaging 11.3 points per game against conference foes.
 
Holopainen is the second Portland player to earn the WCC’s Player of the Week honor this season after sophomore Kari Luttinen grabbed a pair of player of the week awards in December.