Iowa women’s basketball players sweep Big Ten weekly awards

Monika Czinano won the Big Ten Player of the Week award, while Caitlin Clark won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.

Iowa+Forward%2FCenter+Monika+Czinano+watches+after+going+in+for+a+layup+during+the+Iowa+Women%E2%80%99s+Basketball+game+against+Northwestern+on+Jan.+28%2C+2021+at+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena.+Northwestern+defeated+Iowa+87-80

Casey Stone

Iowa Forward/Center Monika Czinano watches after going in for a layup during the Iowa Women’s Basketball game against Northwestern on Jan. 28, 2021 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Northwestern defeated Iowa 87-80

Isaac Goffin, Assistant Sports Editor


Iowa women’s basketball center Monika Czinano won the Big Ten Player of the Week award, while guard Caitlin Clark won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award, it was announced Monday.

Czinano, a junior, averaged 28.5 points and eight rebounds per game against No. 23 Northwestern on Thursday and at Minnesota on Sunday. Between those two games, she went 28-of-33 from the field.

Against Northwestern, she had a career-high 34 points as she went 17-of-19 from the field. She also grabbed 11 rebounds, which gave her the second double-double she has had this season.

By making her first 15 shots against Northwestern, she set what is to believed to be a Big Ten record in terms of making consecutive shots. Those 15 shots also set another record because they set a conference-record streak of 18 consecutive field goals, which goes back to the final three shots she made on Jan. 18 against Purdue.

Czinano went 11-of-14 shooting and had 23 points at Minnesota. This was Czinano’s first Big Ten Player of the Week award.

This week’s Big Ten Freshman of the Week award was the eighth for Clark, tying her for the second-most freshman honors in a single-season in the Big Ten. The current record is 10.

Clark averaged 22.5 points and 9.5 assists per game against Northwestern and Minnesota. At Minnesota, she earned her fifth career double-double of the season with her 22 points and 11 assists. Against Northwestern she had 23 points and eight assists.

Iowa (10-4, 6-4) plays next on Thursday at Ohio State. The game starts at 5 p.m. and will be televised on the BTN.