These women’s basketball players posted big-time performances and were named to the NCAA.com starting five this week. Here’s what you need to know:

Georgia Amoore, Kentucky

Kentucky senior point guard Georgia Amoore posted her fifth and sixth straight games of 20-plus points in helping No. 16 Kentucky open Southeastern Conference play with wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

In the two wins, 91-69 over Mississippi State and 96-78 over Vanderbilt, Kentucky scored at least 91 points in each of its first two league games for the first time in program history. Amoore totaled 51 points across the two games, shooting over 47.0 percent from the field and over 50.0 percent from behind the 3-point line, while also assisting on 18 other baskets.

Amoore knocked down seven 3-pointers against Mississippi State on Jan. 2, one shy of the individual single-game school record, while it marked the second time in a stretch of three games that she has knocked down as many. She drained three more against the Commodores on Sunday.

She became just the second player in program history (joined with Rhyne Howard) to make at least seven 3-pointers in two games in the same season. Her effort from behind the arc helped the Wildcats break the single-game school record for 3-pointers (18) against the Bulldogs and then hit 15 more against the Commodores. It marked the first time in program history that the Wildcats have hit at least 15 3-pointers in back-to-back games.

Amoore also delivered nine assists in each game, maintaining her SEC lead in that category and is now second in the nation with 104 on the season. She also went a combined 7-of-7 from the free throw line in those games, also maintaining her SEC lead in free-throw percentage at 93.0%. Through 14 games this season, Amoore is averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 assists per game.

Amoore and the Wildcats, 13-1 overall, will next play at Florida on Jan. 9.

Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State

Florida State junior guard Ta’Niya Latson totaled 65 points in two wins last week over Virginia Tech and Syracuse.

Latson led the Seminoles with a career-high 40 points in a 105-74 win at Virginia Tech on Jan. 2, matching the program record set by Natasha Howard at Syracuse (February 13, 2014). Latson converted 18 shots, setting the school record for single-game field goals made. Latson added five steals and five assists against the Hokies, becoming the eighth player since 2002 to record at least 40 points, five assists and five steals in a game.

Florida State returned home on Sunday, where Latson again led the way with 25 points, seven assists and six steals in the 85-73 victory over Syracuse.

Latson leads the nation in scoring at 27.9 points per game and ranks second in total points (391) as the Seminoles hold the second-highest scoring average (94.9) in the country. The Miami native has scored at least 20 points in 13 games this season and has 20 career games scoring at least 30 points.

Florida State, 13-2 overall and 3-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, will next head west to face Stanford on Jan. 9, followed by a visit to California on Jan. 12.

Tova Sabel, UC Davis

UC Davis senior guard Tova Sabel led the Aggies to a pair of Big West Conference home wins last week, while also topping the 1,000 point mark for her career.

In a 81-37 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 2, Sabel produced her third 20-plus point game of the season, scoring 21 points on 7-14 shooting (50%) to go along with six rebounds and three steals. During the contest, Sabel topped the 1,000-point mark as an Aggie.

On Saturday in a 68-41 win over Cal State Northridge, Sabel continued her sterling play with a team-high 10 points and eight rebounds in only 26 minutes of action. She also played well on the defensive end, blocking two shots and gathering one steal against the Matadors.

The Aggies, 10-4 overall and 4-0 in Big West play, will continue conference play with a road matchup against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 9.

Teresa Seppala, Siena

Junior guard Teresa Seppala fueled the Siena offense this past week, averaging 25.3 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting from the floor (27-52), 43.5 percent from three (10-23) and a perfect 12-12 from the line over three games.

Seppala’s week started with a career-high 31 points against Cornell on Monday, shooting 12-18 from the field and 4-7 from three in a three-point loss (76-73). Her 24-point effort against Manhattan on Thursday led the Saints to a 62-60 comeback win, scoring eight fourth quarter points, including the last four over the final 17 seconds, to tie and ultimately win the game. She followed up with yet another 20-point outing Saturday at Iona, netting 21 on 50 percent shooting from both the field and from three in an 82-75 setback.

Seppala and the Saints, 6-7 overall and 3-1 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, will next host Quinnipiac on Jan. 9.

Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

Maryland junior guard Kaylene Smikle averaged 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game as the Terrapins scored three wins over the last week of December and first week of January, including two over ranked opponents.
 
Against No. 19 Michigan State on Dec. 29, Smikle led the Terps with 19 points, including 11 points in the second half to help seal the 72-66 victory. The Spartans cut the Terrapins’ lead to two at 65-63 with under 2:00 to play, then Smikle responded with an and-one play to push the lead back to five with a minute left to play.

Against Rutgers on Jan. 2 at home, Smikle added 13 points and tied her career-high with five steals in the 78-61 victory.

In a tough 74-66 road win at No. 23 Iowa Sunday, Smikle scored a season-high 26 points, including 12 in the second half and nine in the fourth quarter.

She went 4-5 from outside the 3-point line and notched a career-best six steals. After the Hawkeyes cut the Terrapins lead to five with under four minutes to play, Smikle responded with a three to stretch the lead to eight points, then another three with 2:09 to go to make it an 11-point lead for Maryland.

Smikle has scored in double figures in 13 straight games this season and 20-or-more points in seven games.

First place in the Big Ten Conference will be on the line this Wednesday, Jan. 8 when Maryland (14-0 overall, 4-0 conference) hosts No. 4 Southern California (14-1, 4-0).