Big 10 Women's Basketball Player Of The Year
The Big Ten Conference is one of the most competitive women's basketball conferences in the country. It features top-level programs like Maryland, Ohio State, Rutgers, and Michigan State, among others. Each year, the conference recognizes the top-performing player with the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year award. In this article, we'll take a closer look at this prestigious honor and the players who have earned it.
What is the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year Award?
The Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year award is an annual recognition given to the best player in the Big Ten Conference. The award is voted on by the conference's head coaches and media members who cover the sport. The winner of the award is considered the most outstanding player of the season, taking into account her individual performance, team success, leadership, and overall impact on the conference.
The award has been given out every year since the conference's inception in 1982. The first recipient of the award was Denise Curry of UCLA, who was playing for Michigan at the time. Since then, many of the conference's top players have gone on to successful careers in the WNBA and beyond.
Recent Winners of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year Award
The following are the past five winners of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year award:
2016-2017: Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Kelsey Mitchell is one of the most prolific scorers in Big Ten history. She finished her career at Ohio State as the conference's all-time leading scorer with 3,402 points. Mitchell won the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year award twice, in 2016 and 2017. As a senior, she averaged 24.3 points per game and led the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
2017-2018: Megan Gustafson, Iowa
Megan Gustafson was a dominant force in the Big Ten during the 2017-2018 season. She led the conference in scoring and rebounding, averaging 25.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. Gustafson also set the NCAA record for field goal percentage in a season, shooting 69.6% from the field. She was named a consensus first-team All-American and won multiple national player of the year awards.
2018-2019: Megan Gustafson, Iowa
After winning the award in 2018, Megan Gustafson repeated as the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year in 2019. She had another outstanding season, averaging 27.8 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. Gustafson became the first player in Iowa history to win the award twice, and she was again named a consensus first-team All-American.
2019-2020: Kathleen Doyle, Iowa
Kathleen Doyle had a breakout season for Iowa in 2019-2020, leading the team to a 23-7 record and a top-25 ranking. She averaged 18.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, and was named the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year as a result. Doyle also received multiple All-American honors and was drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2020 WNBA Draft.
2020-2021: Naz Hillmon, Michigan
Naz Hillmon had a breakout season for Michigan in 2020-2021. She led the conference in scoring and rebounding, averaging 25.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Hillmon was a dominant force in the post, shooting 61.2% from the field. She was named the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year and received multiple All-American honors as a result. Hillmon will return to Michigan for her senior season in 2021-2022.
Conclusion
The Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Year award is a prestigious honor in college basketball. It recognizes the top player in one of the most competitive conferences in the country. Over the years, many of the conference's top players have won the award and gone on to successful careers in the WNBA and beyond. Whoever wins the award next will have big shoes to fill, but you can be sure that she will be one of the best players in the country.