Gustafson wins AP Player of the Year
Iowa senior Megan Gustafson added to her accomplishments on Thursday, getting named the AP Player of the Year.
Iowa center Megan Gustafson (10) hugs Iowa forward Amanda Ollinger after the Iowa/Missouri NCAA Tournament second round women’s basketball game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa on Sunday, March 24, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tigers 68-52.
April 4, 2019
In a season full of accolades and a trip to the Elite Eight, Iowa senior Megan Gustafson added two more important achievements to her already impressive resume on Thursday: AP Player of the Year and the Lisa Leslie Award.
Gustafson became the first player in Iowa and Big Ten history to win AP Player of the Year after leading the nation in scoring for the second consecutive year with 27.8 points per game. Winning the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given to the nation’s best center, became the cherry on top shortly after.
Say hello to the AP PLAYER OF THE YEAR, @GustafsonMeg10! #Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/YZQ7dkOi9h
— Iowa Women’s BBall (@IowaWBB) April 4, 2019
THE NATION’S TOP CENTER! @GustafsonMeg10 is the winner of the 2018-19 Lisa Leslie Award! #Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/tsro5lXlJr
— Iowa Women’s BBall (@IowaWBB) April 4, 2019
Gustafson appeared surprised in a video posted by the AP in which she opens and reads a letter that revealed the honor. Surrounded by head coach Lisa Bluder and the team’s assistants, the Hawkeyes shared a moment to take in yet another impressive feat.
BREAKING: Iowa’s @GustafsonMeg10 is The AP women’s college basketball player of the year.
Gustafson helped the Hawkeyes reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993 and led the nation in scoring for the second consecutive year.
by @DougFeinberg: https://t.co/YTRnj4cQtu pic.twitter.com/NTos4eA301
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 4, 2019
Along with leading the nation in scoring, Gustafson also ranked first in field-goal percentage (69.6) and double-doubles (33), while placing third in rebounds per game (13.4). In Iowa’s loss to Baylor in the Elite Eight, she became just the fourth player in NCAA history to score 1,000 points in a season.
The Port Wing, Wisconsin, native has already earned the espnW Player of the Year honor and was named a first-team AP All-American on Monday. Gustafson has been invited to the women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida, to attend multiple award press conferences and banquets. She is a finalist for the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.
