[Herky] Mitchell and Gustafson split honors

[Suzanne Bailey]

The Big Ten Conference announced its 2017-18 women’s basketball 
all-conference teams and individual award recipients on Monday during 
BTN’s Women’s Sports Report.

Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell was chosen as Big Ten Player of the Year by 
the conference coaches, while Iowa’s Megan Gustafson earned the Big Ten 
Player of the Year award from a select panel of Big Ten media members. 
It’s the third time in four years Mitchell has been the coaches’ choice 
for Player of the Year, while Gustafson becomes the first Iowa student 
to earn that honor from either the coaches or media since 1998, when 
Tangela Smith was chosen by both groups.

Minnesota’s Destiny Pitts was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by both 
the coaches and media, while Nebraska’s Amy Williams took home Coach of 
the Year accolades from her colleagues as well as the media. In 
addition, the Big Ten coaches selected Purdue’s Ae’Rianna Harris as 
Defensive Player of the Year and Maryland’s Ieshia Small as the Sixth 
Player of the Year.

Mitchell led Ohio State to its 16^th Big Ten Championship and second in 
a row, ranking second in the Big Ten and third in the nation in scoring 
(24.4 ppg.), while leading the conference and ranking eighth nationally 
with 3.7 three-point field goals per game. A four-time Big Ten Player of 
the Week with a conference high-tying seven 30-point games this season, 
Mitchell holds the Big Ten records for career points (3,286 – also third 
in NCAA Division I history) and three-point field goals made (478 – also 
an NCAA all-division record), as well as the NCAA Division I record with 
her current streak of making a three-pointer in 87 consecutive games.

Mitchell is one of seven Buckeye students to earn Big Ten Women’s 
Basketball Player of the Year honors from either the coaches or media, 
and the third three-time recipient along with Jessica Davenport 
(2005-07) and Jantel Lavender (2008-11).

Gustafson helped Iowa to a tie for third place in the final Big Ten 
standings while earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors a 
record-setting nine times this season. She leads the nation in scoring 
(25.3 ppg.) and field-goal percentage (.667), while ranking second in 
double-doubles (26) and fifth in rebounding (12.8 rpg.). In addition, 
she tied Mitchell for the conference lead with seven 30-point games this 
year and has already set Iowa single-season school record for points 
(734) and rebounds (370).

Pitts contributed to a Minnesota squad that also tied for third place in 
the conference standings this season. A seven-time Big Ten Freshman of 
the Week, Pitts is averaging 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game with 
a .367 three-point field-goal percentage and 2.6 three-pointers made per 
game, ranking among the top 20 in the conference in all four categories. 
She is the fourth Golden Gopher chosen as Big Ten Freshman of the Year 
and first since Amanda Zahui B. in 2014.

Williams was selected as Big Ten Coach of the Year after guiding 
Nebraska to a 20-9 record and a third-place Big Ten finish at 11-5, as 
her squad has recorded 13 more wins overall (eight more during 
conference play) than a season ago. Williams’ selection is the third 
time a Husker coach has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year plaudits since 
Nebraska joined the conference in 2011-12, with Connie Yori the most 
recent Husker recipient in 2013 and 2014 (both by the coaches only).

Harris is the first Purdue student chosen as Big Ten Defensive Player of 
the Year honor since Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton in 2007. The Boilermaker 
sophomore is in a virtual tie for the Big Ten lead in blocked shots, 
ranking ninth nationally at 3.1 blocks per game. The Big Ten Co-Player 
of the Week on Nov. 20, she also ranks sixth in the conference in 
rebounding (8.8 rpg.), while adding 12.4 points per game in helping 
Purdue to an 18-12 record and a 9-7 finish in Big Ten play.

Small is the second Maryland student in three seasons to earn the Big 
Ten Sixth Player of the Year trophy, following Brene Moseley’s selection 
in 2016. Small has played an important role in the Terrapins’ 23-6 
season and Big Ten runner-up finish at 12-4, coming off the bench in all 
29 games and averaging 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Mitchell and Gustafson joined Michigan Katelynn Flaherty as unanimous 
first-team selections by both the coaches and media. In addition, 
Indiana’s Tyra Buss was a unanimous first-team choice by the coaches and 
Minnesota’s Kenisha Bell was a unanimous first-team pick by the media. 
The conference’s All-Big Ten teams consist of 10 first-team honorees, 10 
second-team selections and honorable mention choices.




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