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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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<p class="p2"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Mitchell led Ohio State to its 16</span><span
class="s2"><sup>th</sup></span><span class="s1"> 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.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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).</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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).</span></p>
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</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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).</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span><span
class="s1"> </span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">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.</span></p>
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