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Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke, Lucy Olsen earn preseason all-Big Ten women’s basketball honors
JuJu Watkins of USC is the preseason player of the year, and the Trojans are preseason favorites, followed by UCLA, Ohio State, Maryland and Indiana
Sep. 26, 2024 1:38 pm, Updated: Sep. 26, 2024 3:12 pm
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The newbies from the West Coast are expected, both by coaches and media, to take Big Ten women’s basketball by storm in their first year in the league.
Led by preseason player of the year JuJu Watkins, USC has been tabbed as the favorite to win the league, with UCLA picked second.
Ohio State, Maryland and Indiana round out the top five in both polls.
The three-time defending Big Ten tournament champion, Iowa is represented on the 10-player all-conference team (11 by the media) by junior Hannah Stuelke and fifth-year player Lucy Olsen, a transfer from Villanova.
A Cedar Rapids native, Stuelke earned Big Ten second-team honors after averaging 14 points per game and shooting better than 62 percent from the field.
Olsen was third in the nation in scoring last year, averaging 23.3 points per game. She surpassed 30 points on 10 occasions last year.
The remainder of the preseason all-conference team consists of USC’s Kiki Iriafen, Maryland’s Shyanne Sellers, Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice and Wisconsin’s Serah Williams, with the addition of Illinois’ Makira Cook in the coaches’ poll due to a tie in voting.
2024-25 Coaches Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
2024-25 Coaches Preseason All-Big Ten Team
(*unanimous)
Makira Cook, sr., G, Illinois
Hannah Stuelke, jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, sr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, jr., F, Ohio State
*Lauren Betts, jr., UCLA
Kiki Rice, jr., G, UCLA
*JuJu Watkins, soph., USC (player of the year)
Kiki Iriafen, sr., F, USC
Serah Williams, jr., F, Wisconsin
2024-25 Media Big Ten Preseason Rankings
1. USC
2. UCLA
3. Ohio State
4. Maryland
5. Indiana
2024-25 Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team
(*unanimous)
Hannah Stuelke, jr., F, Iowa
Lucy Olsen, sr., G, Iowa
Shyanne Sellers, sr., G, Maryland
Alexis Markowski, sr., C/F, Nebraska
Cotie McMahon, jr., F, Ohio State
Lauren Betts, jr., C, UCLA
Kiki Rice, jr., G, UCLA
*JuJu Watkins, soph., G, USC (player of the year)
Kiki Iriafen, sr., F, USC
Serah Williams, jr., F, Wisconsin
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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