VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State junior men's basketball forward Blaise Wallace and junior women's basketball guard Erin Whalen were named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week.  
 
Wallace, a Tallahassee, Fla., native, delivered back-to-back strong performances for the Blazers last week in Alabama.  He recorded a double-double at UAH on Jan. 22, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three steals and a block.  Wallace followed that performance with 13 points and 11 rebounds at West Alabama, going against one of the top frontcourts in the GSC.  
 
His consistency on the glass, defensive presence, and ability to score in the paint made him a steady force across both games. Blaise finished the weekend averaging 12.5 and 11 rpg., for the Week.  This is Wallace's second weekly honor of the season as Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week.
 
Whalen, a native of Cumming, Ga., earned her sixth Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week honor this season as she scored 15 points across two games in Alabama this past week, along with 13 total rebounds. She averaged a team-high 2.5 steals per game and dished out a team-high 2.5 assists for the week.  
 
She has started all 19 games this season and is averaging a team-high 13.7 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game.  Whalen is 103 of 244 (.422) from the field, while knocking down a team-high 25 triples in 76 attempts (.329) and is 30 of 42 from the line (.714).  She has 42 assists on the year and a team-high 50 steals.  
 
The teams return home to host West Florida in a doubleheader beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. in a pair of key Gulf South Conference matchups for both programs.  
 
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)
Jan. 5, 2026 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Lucas Brown Jr. (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 12, 2026 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Peter McKey (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 20, 2026 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Drew Mills (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 26, 2026 – Erin Whalen (Women's Basketball) / Blaise Wallace (Men's Basketball)