WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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Big Ten CommunicationsPublished: 11/14/2023, Last updated: 3/15/2024
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Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - Nov. 14-20

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BIG TEN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL  |  BIG TEN STANDINGS  |  BIG TEN SCHEDULE & RESULTS

2023-24 BIG TEN STATISTICS (XML)  |  2023-24 BIG TEN STATISTICS (PDF) 

NCAA STATISTICS  |  NATIONAL TOP 25 POLLS (NOV. 13-14)

BIG TEN WEEKLY RELEASE - NOV. 14

  • Big Ten women’s basketball programs went a combined 23-6 to begin the 2023-24 campaign, including a hard-fought top 10 victory for then-ranked No. 3/3 Iowa over No. 8/5 Virginia Tech, 80-76. The second week of action opened Monday with Penn State earning a 91-85 win over Kansas. The conference also has eight teams defending unblemished records.

  • The Big Ten continues to have a strong presence with four Top 25 teams in both the Associated Press and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today polls, plus others receiving votes. In the AP poll, Iowa moved up to No. 2, its first time back in the spot since the final poll a season ago. The Hawkeyes are followed by No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Indiana and No. 20 Maryland, with Illinois receiving votes. The coaches’ poll was released Tuesday with Iowa moving up a place to No. 2, Ohio State tied for 10th, Indiana ranked 17th, Maryland at 19th and Michigan receiving votes this week.

  • The Big Ten will face multiple opponents ranked in the Top 25 this week, starting with Northwestern visiting No. 16/14 Notre Dame on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET on ACCN). No. 20/19 Maryland heads to No. 8/8 UConn Thursday (6:30 p.m. ET on FS1) before Illinois and No. 16/14 Notre Dame meet in Washington, D.C. on Saturday (1 p.m. ET on NBC). Sunday’s slate has Nebraska hosting No. 22/24 Creighton (2 p.m. ET on BTN) and Minnesota welcoming No. 8/8 UConn (5 p.m. ET on FS1).

  • Iowa senior Caitlin Clark garnered national recognition on Tuesday after being named Associated Press (AP) National Player of the Week and one of five Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). She averaged 32.0 points, 9.0 assists and 8.3 rebounds last week and became Iowa’s all-time leading scorer with 2,813 career points. Clark also jumped two spots to sit fifth among the Big Ten Conference’s all-time scorers. 

  • The John R. Wooden Award released its Women’s Preseason Top 50 Watch List on Tuesday, featuring nine Big Ten women’s basketball student-athletes. The 2023 Wooden Award winner Caitlin Clark (IOWA) is joined by Makira Cook (ILL), Mackenzie Holmes (IND), Laila Phelia (MICH), Shyanne Sellers (MD), Jaz Shelley (NEB), Celeste Taylor (OSU), Cotie McMahon (OSU) and Jacy Sheldon (OSU). The Big Ten’s nine student-athletes ties for the third-most amongst the eight conferences represented on the list and tops last year’s mark (8).

  • After the opening week, the Big Ten has multiple programs ranked in the top five of various categories. Minnesota leads the nation in field goal percentage (.558) while Northwestern checks in third behind 28.5 assists per game and fourth with a .889 free throw percentage.

  • Michigan State head coach Robyn Fralick and Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit both started their Big Ten tenures with a victory. Fralick coached the Spartans to an 87-62 win against Oakland, the most points scored in a MSU head coach’s first game. Plitzuweit led the Golden Gophers past LIU, 92-57. The 35-point margin of victory is the most in a coaching debut at Minnesota. Both programs went 2-0 during the opening week of play.  

  • Sophomore Mara Braun became the third fastest player in Minnesota history to reach 500 career points (31 games) when she had 25 points against Chicago State on Sunday.