The eighth-ranked Iowa women’s basketball team is coming off a huge 3-0 week, with all three victories coming over top-15 opponents. And the accolades are rolling in for the stars who helped them do just that.
Sophomore center Ava Heiden has been in the middle of everything on and off the court. She was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday for her performances during the Hawkeyes‘ three wins over ranked opponents, a deserving nod for a rising star in the conference.
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The accolades continued for the sophomore on Tuesday, when she was named to Autumn Johnson’s starting lineup of the week on the NCAA March Madness social media pages.
Heiden was outstanding in all three Iowa victories last week. She had 20 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks against No. 14 Michigan State to start the week. Then, Heiden dropped 20 points and eight boards in a crazy overtime win at No. 13 Maryland in the middle of the week. Heiden capped off her week with a dominant game against No. 11 Ohio State, going off for 18 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and two blocks against the Buckeyes.
She shot a combined 26-of-37 (.702) from the field in those three games, continuing a very efficient season. Heiden has now scored in double figures in eight straight games, all wins for the Hawkeyes. Overall on the season, she’s finished in double figures in 17 of Iowa’s 20 games and is averaging a team-leading 16.4 points per game.
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Heiden is another success story in the post for Jan Jensen, who’s built quite a resume when it comes to developing bigs at Iowa. Just over the last decade, the Hawkeyes have seen Megan Gustafson, Monika Czinano, Hannah Stuelke, and now Heiden all flourish under Jensen’s coaching. Heiden is looking to join Gustafson as a Big Ten Player of the Year winner, a feat that seems doable with how well she’s played and developed this season.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa women’s basketball star collects another accolade after big week
