Michigan women's basketball's Naz Hillmon is the Big Ten Player of the Year

Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Naz Hillmon has added yet another accolade.

The junior became the first player in Michigan women's basketball history to be named Big Ten Player of the Year.

Hillmon was also an unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team.

According to Michigan, Hillmon is "just the second player in Big Ten history to earn Freshman, Sixth Player and Player of the Year honors in a career."

This season, the 6-foot-2 forward is averaging 25.1 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 64.5% from the field. She has 12 double-doubles — including a historic 50-point, 16-rebound performance at Ohio State on Jan. 21 (the most points scored in Michigan basketball history) and a 35-pound, 22-rebound performance against Nebraska on Jan. 7.

Michigan’s Naz Hillmon (0) keeps the ball away from Notre Dame’s Amirah Abdur-Rahim (3) on Dec. 3, 2020 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.
Michigan’s Naz Hillmon (0) keeps the ball away from Notre Dame’s Amirah Abdur-Rahim (3) on Dec. 3, 2020 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.

Hillmon, also a finalist for the Wooden Award, is a major reason why the Wolverines have compiled a 14-4 record, finishing fourth in the Big Ten with a 9-4 conference record, and are primed to make the NCAA tournament.

Michigan State's Nia Clouden was also named to the first team by the coaches and the media. The 5-8 junior guard is seventh in the league at 18.0 points per game to go with 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark is the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Penn State's Maddie Burke the Sixth Player of the Year and Northwestern's Veronica Burton the Defensive Player of the Year. The Big Ten Coach of the Year is Maryland's Brenda Freese.

Other Wolverines honored included Leigha Brown, who was a consensus pick for the All-Big Ten second team. Brown, a transfer from Nebraska, is the team's second-leading scorer and averages 17.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Akienreh Johnson, meanwhile, was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team by the coaches.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan women's basektball's Naz Hillmon: Big Ten Player of the Year