Kanija Daniel named FCSAA Player of the Week

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – On Tuesday, January 7, the FCSAA named Kanija Daniel their Player of the Week for December 16, 2024 – January 5, 2025. Due to the Christmas break and limited action from teams across the FCSAA & NJCAA, only one winner in each division was named to represent the three weeks. The NJCAA does not select a Player of the Week until the second week of January.

Daniel, a sophomore guard for the Lady Indians, has been instrumental in helping her team reach 18-0 on the season. She is averaging 20.9 points per game, good enough for fifth in D1 NJCAA Women's Basketball and second in the FCSAA.

"Kanija is extremely deserving of this honor and we are very happy she got the recognition she deserves," said first-year Chipola Head Women's Basketball Coach Mitch Rolls. "Her stats are among the best in the country despite playing limited minutes in many of our games."

Daniel led Chipola to a 5-0 record during the Christmas holidays, including a win over No. 9 Shelton State, in which she recorded a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. She turned in a pair of 31-point performances at home and away over South Georgia Tech, one of the Peach State's best women's basketball colleges. She also had an 18-point showing at home against Southern Union and 22 points against Daytona State at the Lady Jets Holiday Classic in Americus, Georgia.

In the five games, Daniel Shot 46.3 percent (37-of-80) from the field, 39.0 percent (16-of-41) from three and 77.8 percent (28-of-36) from the free throw line. Nationally, she is 12^th in field goals and 3-point field goals made, and third in free throws made.

The Carrollton, Georgia native has accomplished much of her success this season while seeing limited action. Daniel missed two games in early December due to injury and because of the success of the Lady Indians, she is only played more than 30 minutes in three of the games in which she participated.

"There have been a handful of our games she did not play the entire fourth quarter," Rolls added. "She has been a great leader for our team and has consistently dominated our competition all season long."

On the night before the award was announced, Daniel scored a career-high 36 points against Enterprise State in Chipola's 107-43, a game in which she played just 28 minutes. This game along with her output in Chipola's Panhandle Conference opener at Pensacola State on Saturday, January 11, will go toward consideration for next week's POTW award.

Rolls looks forward to seeing what the rest of the season has in store for the Daniel and the rest of the Lady Indians, "I'm very proud of Kanija and can't wait to see her compete in Panhandle Conference play."  

This was the first FCSAA POTW Award for a Chipola athlete in the 2024-2025 season.