VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State senior men's basketball forward Drew Mills and Lady Blazer junior guard Erin Whalen were named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week announced Monday.  This marks Mills' second-straight honor and Whalen's second of the season.
 
Whalen, a native of Cumming, Ga., tallied a pair of double-doubles in two hard-fought setbacks on the road this past week.  Whalen tallied 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in the 63-56 loss at Trevecca Nazarene and then followed with ten points and 12 rebounds in a 62-58 loss at Lee.  Whalen made six field goals, three triples and went 7 of 8 from the free throw line, scoring 22 points and registering 26 rebounds.  She now has five double-doubles for the season.
 
Mills, a Baltimore, Md., native, finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in a loss at Trevecca Nazarene, going 6 of 9 from the field, 1 of 2 from distance and 1 of 3 from the line.  He followed that up with 17 points and three rebounds in a disappointing 87-83 loss at Lee on Saturday.  He finished 5 of 14 from the field, 1 of 5 from deep and 6 of 8 from the line against the Flames.  Mills went 11 of 23 from the field for the week, 2 of 7 from beyond the arc and 7 of 11 from the line, while pulling down 12 rebounds. 
 
Following the Christmas break, the Lady Blazers host University of Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. at The Complex, while both teams open the 2026 portion of the schedule on Jan. 2, 2026, with a doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m. at The Complex versus Mississippi College.  The teams then will face Delta State on Sunday, Jan. 4 beginning at 2 p.m., also at The Complex.
 
Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week
Oct. 20, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Elad Sebbag (Men's Golf)
Oct. 27, 2025 – Kaitlyn Scherer (Women's Soccer) / Mark Robinson (Football)
Nov. 3, 2025 – Taylor Youmans (Women's Soccer) / Council Allen (Football)
Nov. 10, 2025 – Eimy Negron Domenech (Volleyball) / Corey Reddick, Jr. (Football)
Nov. 17, 2025 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Matt Rolader (Football)
Nov. 24, 2025 – Aryana Hicks (Women's Basketball) / Blaise Wallace (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 1, 2025 – Aryana Hicks (Women's Basketball) / MJ Jones (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 8, 2025 – Alina Martin (Women's Basketball) / Samarion Bond (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 16, 2025 – Amaya Broadus (Women's Basketball) / Drew Mills (Men's Basketball)
Dec 22, 2025 –  Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Drew Mills (Men's Basketball)