After stellar performances in Iowa women’s basketball’s (6-0) wins over Baylor and Miami, star sophomore center Ava Heiden has earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
The 6-foot-4, native of Sherwood, Ore, led Iowa to its first ranked victory of the season against Baylor last Thursday, with her third double-double of the season on a team-high 18 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line.
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Against the Hurricanes, Heiden was one point short of her career-high as she led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and six rebounds on 9-for-11 shooting from the field, helping Iowa clinch the WBCA Showcase Championship. Adding to the spectacular performance, Heiden started the game shooting 9-for-9 from the floor through three quarters of action.
Through six games played, Heiden leads the team in scoring (15.8 points per game), rebounding (8.8 rebounds per game), and field goal percentage (63%), which ranks 21st nationally.
Along with this being Heiden’s first Big Ten Player of the Week honor, it is also the Hawkeyes’ first since Lucy Olsen earned the distinction on Feb. 3, 2025.
Up next for Heiden and the rest of the Iowa squad will be a matchup against the Western Illinois Leathernecks (4-0) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will stream exclusively on B1G+ (subscription required).
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball star center named Big Ten Player of the Week
