PHILADELPHIA – Following one of the best starts to a career in program history, Kayla Padilla, of the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team, earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, the league office announced on Monday.
Padilla is the first Quaker to be named Rookie of the Week since seven-time winner Eleah Parker cornered the market during the 2017-18 season.
On Wednesday, in an 85-51 defeat of NJIT, Padilla racked up a game-high 25 points, propelled by 5-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc, in 29 minutes of action. She impacted the game in more ways than just scoring, though, adding four assists, three rebounds and a steal.
At NJIT she became the first player since Penn legend Diana Caramanico in 1997-98 to hit the quarter-century mark in one of her first two career games and, building on her 14-point performance in the season opener, Padilla's 39 points through two games are the most since Kirsten Brendel piled up 54 in 1987-88.
To close the week, Padilla helped the Quakers to their first 3-0 start in program history with another 14-point tally in another dominant, 74-42 win over Iona. In all three games, the rookie recorded at least 14 points. During Sunday's win at The Palestra, Padilla dished out five assists and hit the glass to fight for five rebounds.
Overall, Penn is off to an historic start at 3-0, asserting itself on both ends of the floor. Its offensive outburst of 251 points through three games is the most in program history and its smothering pressure without the ball has surrendered just 137 points, the fewest since 1974-75.
The Quakers begin Big 5 play on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m.
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