Jeanae Terry, Abbey Ellis Honored by Big Ten
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference postseason awards were announced Tuesday by the league office, and Purdue Women’s Basketball senior Jeanae Terry garnered Second Team All-Big Ten honors by the conference’s coaches.
In her second season at Purdue, Terry earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team from the league’s media, who also named her honorable mention.
Abbey Ellis was tabbed All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media for the second straight time.
Terry upgraded her honorable mention nod from last season, after one of the best all-around campaigns in the country this season. The Detroit native tallied 6.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game this season. Terry joined Iowa’s Cailtin Clark and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles as the only players in the country to average over six points, rebounds and assists per game. That list dwindled to just Terry and Miles when adding two steals per game.
Terry was the only player in the in the Big Ten to rank among the league’s top 10 in rebounds, assists and steals per game this season. The senior finished the season ranked 11th in the nation in total assists (175) and assists per game. She is the only Boilermaker in program history to dish out 170 or more assists in two seasons.
A season after becoming the first player in Purdue history to record multiple triple-doubles, Terry recorded the program’s first non-point double-double. She finished the campaign with three of them, including an nine-point, 10-assist, 10-rebound, eight-steal outing against Penn State last week.
Terry ended her regular season ranked fifth in the Big Ten in total rebounds (206) rebounds per game, fourth in total steals (63) and third in steals per game.
Terry’s second-team nod was the 24th in program history and first of the Katie Gearlds era. Purdue put a player on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team for the first time since 2020 and 13th time in history.
Ellis earned her second consecutive honorable mention laurel following a season in which she averaged 11.2 points per game, while shooting 46.4% from the field and 35.7% behind the arc in conference play. The Australian international made 42 of her 46 free throw attempts in league action to record the third-best free throw percentage in the conference at 91.3%. She led the conference and was eighth in the nation with a 90.8%.
Cassidy Hardin was named Purdue’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for this season.
Terry, Ellis, Hardin and the Boilermakers will open the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. as the seventh seed against 10th-seeded Wisconsin at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Rutgers women’s basketball team both earned All-Big Ten postseason honors.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Kaylene Smikle and Chyna Cornwell of the Rutgers women’s basketball team both earned All-Big Ten postseason honors.
Smikle was named to the All-Freshman Team (media & coaches) as well as the All-Big Ten Second Team (media & coaches). Cornwell was selected as an Honorable Mention (media) as well as Rutgers Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient.
Smikle is the first player in program history to earn a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team and the All-Freshman team in the same season. She is the first Second Team pick since 2021 (Diamond Johnson) and first All-Freshman selection since 2014 (Tyler Scaife).
Cornwell’s Honorable mention is the first conference postseason award of her career. She is the 10th player in program history to take home the honor. RU has now earned an Honorable Mention (media) in eight consecutive seasons dating back to 2015.
Freshman Kaylene Smikle leads Rutgers and freshman in the Big Ten with 17.5 points per game in addition to averaging 19.5 points in conference play.
She is the only Scarlet Knight to net 20+ points in a game this season and has accomplished the feat 13, including versus 10 Big Ten opponents, to pace all freshmen in the league:
- 22 points vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 20)
- 23 points vs. Cornell (Nov. 27)
- 21 points vs. Ohio State (Dec. 4)
- 22 points at Illinois (Dec. 7)
- 26 points vs. Princeton (Dec. 15)
- 29 points vs. Maryland (Jan. 2)
- 20 points vs. Nebraska (Jan. 7)
- 20 points at Minnesota (Jan. 12)
- 21 points at Maryland (Jan. 15)
- 27 points at Michigan State (Jan. 22)
- 25 points at Indiana (Jan. 29)
- 28 points at Iowa (Feb. 12)
- 21 point vs. Northwestern (Feb. 12)
The rookie has reached double-digit scoring in 25 of 30 outings this campaign including in the most recent 17 of 18 games.
With 14 points against Michigan (Feb. 23) Smikle became the third Scarlet Knight in program history to pass the 500-point milestone. She currently stands with 525 total points through 30 games.
The Farmingdale, New York product has also been solid from beyond the arc. Her 51 three-pointers lead the Scarlet Knights while her five three’s against South Dakota State rank as the highest performance in a single game for RU. She has hit at least one three in all but two outings this slate.
Smikle has been a threat on defense as well, leading RU with 64 steals to rank third in the Big Ten and first among freshmen. She has secured 3+ takeaways on 12 occasions and 5+ grabs three times. The guard has led Rutgers in the statistic 14 times this slate.
Chyna Cornwell leads the team with eight double-doubles, including three in Big Ten play:
- vs. Seton Hall (Nov. 11) – 10 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Cornell (Nov. 27) – 11 points, 16 rebounds
- at Illinois (Dec. 7) – 10 points, 11 rebounds
- vs. Hampton (Dec. 10) – 18 points, 14 rebounds
- vs. New Orleans (Dec. 18) – 15 points, rebounds
- at Maryland (Jan. 15) – 15 points, 13 rebounds
- vs. Penn State (Jan. 26) – 16 points, 10 rebounds
- vs. Wisconsin (Feb. 5) – 16 points, 11 rebounds
Cornwell leads the Scarlet Knights off the boards, with 8.4 rebounds per game to rank third in the Big Ten.
The junior grabbed a career best 17 off the glass against Northwestern (Feb. 15) which ranks as the fourth highest single game performance in the Big Ten this season. She also secured 16 boards against Cornell (Nov. 27) to own two of the top five Big Ten single game rebounding totals.
In addition, the Conover, North Carolina native ranks second Big Ten with 95 total offensive rebounds. She grabbed a season-high nine off the offensive glass against Northwestern for the highest single game performance in the Big Ten this season.
Next Up
No. 11-seeded Rutgers (11-19, 5-13 B1G) will face the No. 14 seed Northwestern (9-10, 2-16 B1G) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday, March 1 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The contest will begin 25 minutes after the completion of the first game, which starts at 2 p.m. ET.
Four Illini Earn Big Ten All-Conference Recognition
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With the first regular season under head coach Shauna Green in the books, Illinois women’s basketball saw four student-athletes earn Big Ten All-Conference recognition from the league’s coaches and media. Makira Cook earned first team honors, Genesis Bryant and Kendall Bostic were both tabbed second team and Adalia McKenzie collected honorable mention status.
The three Illini on first and second teams was the most by the program since the 1999-00 campaign. This season’s awards mark just the second time in program history four individuals have been recognized including honorable mention accolades – the first was the 1986-87 season.
Cook, who was a unanimous first team selection by the league’s coaches, earns the second all-conference honors of her career after being tabbed to the Atlantic 10’s second team last season. The junior guard has averaged a team-best 17.9 points per game while dishing out 112 assists and starting all 27 games she’s appeared in. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has led Illinois in scoring 12 times this season and turned in 13 20-point games while scoring in double figures 24 times. Back in December, Cook was named ESPN’s No. 5 ranked transfer of the season.
Cook is the first Illini to earn first team honors by both the Big Ten coaches and media since Jenna Smith did so in 2010.
After earning a Big Ten All-Conference honorable mention nod by the media last season, Bostic left no doubt in 2022-23 as she was a second team honoree by both. The junior has averaged 10.6 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per outing to go along with 46 blocks. A native of Kokomo, Indiana, Bostic is one of two Illini to start all 29 games and has racked up 11 double doubles on the season. She’s shooting a team-best 63.7 percent from the field this season. Bostic earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll three times this season. Bostic was also named Illinois’ Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
In the first season of her career in a starting role, Bryant delivered big time for the Illini. She began the season as the first player to come off the bench but earned a spot in the starting lineup and has never looked back, averaging 14.8 points per game. Bryant has added 3.2 rebounds per game, 105 assists, 45.4 percent field goal shooting and a 42.0 percent mark from 3-point range. Bryant turned in the program’s third-ever triple double in December and became the first Illini to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors since the 2014-15 campaign. She was also tabbed the ESPN Player of the Week (1/2/23) and to the NCAA Weekly Starting Five (1/4/23).
McKenzie has turned in an exception sophomore campaign, averaging 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. McKenzie has scored in double figures in 22 outings and tallied 20 or more points in six games. The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, native has posted all four of her career double double efforts this season under Shauna Green‘s guidance. McKenzie earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 19 this season and is one of two Illini to start all 29 games this season.
Illinois turned in a 21-8 regular season record, which included an 11-7 mark in Big Ten play. UI earned the sixth seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will open post-season play against the winner of [11] Rutgers and [14] Northwestern Thursday night at approximately 8 p.m. CT.
Micheaux was named to the All-Big Ten Honorable Mention team by both the league’s coaches and media covering the conference. Meanwhile Braun was chosen as a part of the five-player All-Freshman Team by both the media and coaches. In addition, graduate Isabelle Gradwell was tabbed as the school’s Sportsmanship Award representative.
For the first time in her two-year college career Micheaux was honored by the conference. This season Micheaux is the only player in the Big Ten ranked inside the top 20 in scoring (14.0) and top 4 in rebounding (7.9) this season. Her 14 points per game was second on the team this season and she led the team in both rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game (3.0). Her 3.0 offensive rebounds per game ended the regular season tied for third and her 51.5 percent shooting from the floor is eighth in the Big Ten this season and she posted all nine of her career double doubles this season.
Entering the conference as the second-highest ranked recruit this season it was Braun who met those expectations in stride to earn the Big Ten All-Freshman Team honor. The rookie from Wayzata, Minn., led the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game and also led the team in threes made (61), 3-point percentage (35.1) and was second on the team in steals at 1.5 per game. Braun was second among freshmen in points per game this season and was the only freshman to make 60 or more threes while averaging 12 or more points per game.
Shifting to the bench seven games into the season Gradwell has excelled in her role off the bench recently. The first-year Gopher has averaged 4.2 points per game this season but has scored 9.0 per game in the last four games of the regular season while shooting 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from beyond the arc.
As the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Golden Gophers (11-18, 4-14 B1G) will open play Wednesday at 1 p.m. CT against No. 13 Penn State (13-16, 4-14) on Big Ten Network.
McMahon Earns Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Five Named All-Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference announced its end of season awards on Tuesday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2022-23 end of season women’s basketball awards on Tuesday, prior to the start of the Big Ten Tournament. Freshman forward Cotie McMahon was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and to the All-Big Ten Freshman team by both the league’s coaches and media, with the coaches unanimously selecting her for the all-freshman team.
Both the coaches and media named senior guard Taylor Mikesell to the All-Big Ten First Team and sophomore guard/forward Taylor Thierry and McMahon to the All-Big Ten Second Team. The Big Ten coaches also selected Thierry for the all-defensive team, while the media gave redshirt junior guard Rikki Harris and senior forward Rebeka Mikulášiková an honorable mention. Thierry was also Ohio State’s Sportsmanship Award Honoree.
McMahon is the 10th player in Ohio State women’s basketball history to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the first since Kelsey Mitchell in 2015. McMahon tied Mitchell’s program record with six Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades and made history as the first Buckeye to ever be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for four-consecutive weeks. This season, McMahon is averaging 14.0 points (18th in the Big Ten), 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, including 19 games in double figures and a team-high 11 games with 20 or more points. She scored a career-high 30 points on Dec. 20 in the overtime win against South Florida. McMahon’s .517 field goal percentage is seventh in the conference. She’s increased her production to 15.0 points (13th in Big Ten), 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists and is tied for the eighth in the conference with 0.9 blocks per game against Big Ten opponents.
Mikesell leads the Ohio State offense this season with 17.3 points per game (eighth in Big Ten) and three-point shooting (3.2 per game is second in conference), also ranking second on the team with 2.6 assists per game. Mikesell surpassed 2,000 career points this season and 1,000 points as a Buckeye. Her 93 three-pointers ranks seventh among single-season program records and her Buckeye career total to 207, ranking sixth all-time despite being in Columbus for just two seasons. Mikesell consistently leads the Buckeyes on the court as she has 27 games in double figures this season, eight 20-point games, including a pair with 30+ points. Mikesell is on the watch list for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award, Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Wade Award. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 9 and earned a spot on the weekly honor roll on Dec. 5.
Thierry has enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, averaging 13.7 points (23rd in Big Ten) per game and leads Ohio State in field goal percentage (.628, third in conference), 6.7 rebounds per game (11th in Big Ten) and 2.0 steals per game (sixth in Big Ten). She also averages 2.3 assists per game and is 15th in the Big Ten with 0.8 blocks per game. Thierry has elevated her game to 14.4 points (15th in Big Ten) and 7.4 rebounds (eighth in Big Ten) per game during conference play, also ranking top-10 in the league in blocks and steals against Big Ten opponents. Thierry has scored in double figures 22 times this season, has surpassed the 20-point plateau on five occasions and earned her first career double-double. She was named to the Big Ten weekly honor roll for the first two times in her career on Dec. 12 and Dec. 27.
Harris stepped into a starting role and assumed the responsibility of running the offense midway through the season and is averaging 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals (17th in Big Ten) and a team-high 3.4 assists (12th in Big Ten) per game. She also ranks fifth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.3) overall and fourth when playing against Big Ten opponents. Harris has stepped her game during conference play to average 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals (12th in Big Ten) and a team-high 3.9 assists (11th in Big Ten) per game. Harris has scored in double figures on five occasions and twice scored a career-high, first 19 points on Jan. 5 at Minnesota and most recently 23 points on Feb. 20 at Michigan (shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-4 from deep).
Mikulášiková is averaging a career-best 11.9 points per game this season, also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She is second on the team with a career-high 39 three-pointers made, also recording career-highs in assists (46) and steals (20). Mikulášiková has scored in double figures 14 times this season, has 20+ points on six occasions and scored a career-high 31 points at Rutgers on Dec. 4. She also earned her fourth career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds at Boston College on Nov. 13. She was named to the Big Ten weekly honor roll three times this season – Nov. 14, Nov. 28 and Jan. 17.
No. 14/13 Ohio State (23-6, 12-6 B1G) earned the #4 seed and will play the winner of #5 Michigan vs. #12 Minnesota/#13 Penn State on Friday, 25 minutes following the conclusion of the first game of the day at 12:30 p.m. ET. All games before the finals will be broadcast on BTN and the FOX Sports app. The Big Ten Championship game will be broadcast on ESPN and the ESPN app.
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