Minnesota and Purdue Earn Weekly Women’s Basketball Awards
Minnesota’s Kenisha Bell and Destiny Pitts, and Purdue’s Ae’Rianna Harris are this week’s honorees
Co-Players of the Week
Kenisha Bell, Minnesota
G – Jr. – Minneapolis, Minn. – Bloomington Kennedy
• Averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game with a .522 field-goal percentage with three double-doubles in three Golden Gopher victories last week
• Scored at least 20 points in all three games, including a career-high 31 points (along with 10 rebounds and five assists) in Sunday’s win over Boston College
• Nearly posted a triple-double in road win on Nov. 13 at Rhode Island, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists
• Earns her first career Player of the Week honor
• Last Minnesota Player of the Week: Rachel Banham (Feb. 22, 2016)
Ae’Rianna Harris, Purdue
F – So. – Indianapolis, Ind. – Lawrence North
• Registered 20.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game with her first two career double-doubles and a .720 field-goal percentage last week to help Purdue move to 3-0 this season
• Scored a career-high 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting while grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking three shots in a victory over Miami (Ohio) last Wednesday
• Posted 18 points and set or tied career highs for rebounds (14), blocks (7) and assists (4) in last Saturday’s win over Lamar
• Earns her first career Player of the Week honor
• Last Purdue Player of the Week: Liza Clemons (Jan. 28, 2014)
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Megan Gustafson, Jr., F, IOWA: Averaged 18.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game with two double-doubles and a .700 field-goal percentage last week, sparking two Iowa wins that moved the Hawkeyes to 4-0 this season
Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, Jr., F, NU: Registered 15.5 points and 15.5 rebounds per game with a .609 field-goal percentage in two Northwestern wins last week, highlighted by a 27-point, 21-rebound effort against Oakland, the third 20/20 game in school history and first since Jan. 23, 1983 (Anucha Browne vs. Minnesota)
Linnae Harper, Sr., G, OSU: Compiled 17.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game with two double-doubles last week to help the Buckeyes to three wins in five days, including a victory over No. NR/25 Washington on Sunday
Freshman of the Week
Destiny Pitts, Minnesota
G/F – Detroit, Mich. – Country Day
• Averaged 13.7 points and 14.3 rebounds per game with two double-doubles last week as Minnesota improved to 4-0 this season with three victories
• Collected 20 points and 12 rebounds in last Thursday’s win over VCU
• Tallied 14 points and 16 rebounds in her first career start on Sunday night against Boston College
• Earns her first career Freshman of the Week honor
• Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week: Gadiva Hubbard (Dec. 5, 2016)
2017-18 Big Ten Players of the Week
Nov. 13
P: Megan Gustafson, Jr., IOWA
F: Kate Cain, NEB
F: Karissa McLaughlin, PUR
Nov. 20
P: Kenisha Bell, Jr., G, MINN
P: Ae’Rianna Harris, So., F, PUR
F: Destiny Pitts, MINN
