Minnesota and Purdue Earn Weekly Women’s Basketball Awards

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