PULLMAN, Wash. – For the first time at Washington State and the second time in her career, grad-transfer Averie Collins was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon. Collins becomes the second Cougar to earn a weekly award in the first three weeks of the year following Brianna Alger earning defensive honors to start the year (Aug. 27). Collins previously earned the award Oct 18, 2016 after scoring the game-winning goal for Stanford against Oregon State.
 
Establishing herself as one of the most reliable and potent offensive weapons in the Cougars' arsenal, Collins came up big for WSU on the road at Gonzaga Thursday night, scoring the game's lone tally in overtime. After picking off the opening pass of extra time, Collins needed just :09 seconds to streak up the field before unleashing a left-footed screamer from 22-yards out just inside the post and into the back of the net. The goal by Collins ended a night in which WSU outshot the Zags 24-to-9, only to have the Bulldogs' Isabella Jones play the game of her life to keep the Cougs off the scoreboard en route to earning West Coast Conference Player of the Week Monday afternoon. Collins had earlier been denied by Jones as the big midfielder laced a header towards the back post only to see Jones come up with a diving save at the goal line.
 
For Collins, the goal was her team-best fourth of the year while marking her second-straight game-winner for the Cougs. Additionally, the golden goal was the second of her career with her first remarkably coming against WSU in 2016 while at Stanford. In all, Collins has scored four times on just nine shots while adding an assist for a team-high nine points in four games.
 
The nationally ranked Cougars and Collins host the Cougar Classic Sept. 13 & 15 with WSU taking on Michigan Friday at 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks. Sunday, WSU faces off against LMU with kick off scheduled for 1 p.m. at Lower Soccer Field.