Cal's Gisella Maul Named One of Five National Players of the Week

Maul recorded a pair of double-doubles in the Golden Bears' road wins over Georgia Tech and Pitt last week.

Feb. 10, 2026 at 9:15pm

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Cal junior guard Gisella Maul was one of five players named to the U.S. Basketball Writers' women's national players of the week. Maul recorded a pair of double-doubles in the Golden Bears' road wins over Georgia Tech and Pitt last week, including a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds against Pitt.

Why it matters

Maul's strong performances come at a crucial time for the Cal women's basketball team, as they look to build momentum heading into the postseason. Her emergence as a key contributor could be pivotal for the Bears, especially with injuries to starters Puff Morris and Taylor Barnes.

The details

In the win over Georgia Tech, Maul had 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, including nine points in the final six minutes. Against Pitt, she scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while shooting 5-of-8 from three-point range. Maul has stepped up in the absence of injured starters Morris and Barnes, starting 11 of 25 games this season and averaging 9.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

  • On February 4, Maul recorded a double-double in Cal's 63-56 win over Georgia Tech.
  • On February 6, Maul had a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds in Cal's 95-80 victory at Pitt.

The players

Gisella Maul

A junior guard for the Cal women's basketball team who was named one of five national players of the week by the U.S. Basketball Writers.

Puff Morris

Cal's freshman point guard who was sidelined by a knee injury, but has since returned to action.

Taylor Barnes

Cal's starting forward who has missed the past three games with an ankle injury.

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What’s next

It's unclear what Cal's starting lineup will look like when both Barnes and Morris are ready to play a full game.

The takeaway

Gisella Maul's emergence as a key contributor for the Cal women's basketball team could be pivotal for the Bears as they look to make a push in the postseason, especially with injuries to starters Puff Morris and Taylor Barnes.