VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State senior men's basketball guard Lucas Brown Jr. and junior women's basketball guard Erin Whalen were named Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week.  This is the first weekly honor of the season for Brown and the third for Whalen.  
 
Brown Jr., a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., helped lead VSU to a 1-1 record this week and helped the team snap a four-game skid with an outstanding performance on Sunday in the 90-72 win over Delta State.  In that game, Brown finished with 19 points off the bench on 7 of 12 from the field, while he was 3 of 3 from distance and 2 of 2 from the line as all were season-highs.  He pulled down three rebounds, while registering four assists and one steal in 19 minutes of action.  Against Mississippi College, he finished with seven points on 2 of 8 from the field, 1 of 4 from deep and 2 of 2 from the line, along with one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes.
 
For Whalen, she helped lead the Lady Blazers to a 3-0 record this week with dominating performances each time out.  She averaged 16.7 points and 11.0 rebounds for the week, going 20 of 41 from the field (.488), while she was 4 of 11 from deep and 6 of 7 from the line.  Whalen pulled down 33 rebounds, while registering nine assists and nine steals scoring 50 points.  She tallied two double-doubles and had a career-high 17 rebounds and 19 points with six assists in an 83-57 win over Mississippi College on Friday.  
 
The Blazer basketball teams return to the road this week as they travel to Union and Christian Brothers.  The teams play at Union on Thursday at beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with the women's game, followed by a 2 p.m. ET tip with the women's game first at Christian Brothers on Saturday, Jan. 10. 
 
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)