Six Buckeyes Claim All-Big Ten Accolades

Feb. 27, 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A total of six Ohio State Buckeyes received All-Big Ten accolades on Monday as voted on by the leagues’ 14 head coaches and select members of the media. Junior point guard Kelsey Mitchell was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

This is the second time Mitchell has been named the conference’s best player as she also took home the award as a freshman in 2014-15. She is the seventh Buckeye student to earn Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Year honors from either the coaches or media.

“I am really humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Mitchell. “I don’t set individual goals of winning certain awards but I just try to get better as a player each day and do whatever I can do to help my team win. We’ve had a great year and my teammates have been tremendous and I can’t wait to get back out on the court with them.”

Junior transfer guard Linnae Harper picked up an award in her first season with the Buckeyes as she was named the conference’s Sixth Player of the Year.

In the All-Conference voting, Mitchell was a unanimous first team selection while Shayla Cooper and Stephanie Mavunga were named to the second team and Sierra Calhoun was named honorable mention. Tori McCoy was also named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team.

The Buckeyes finished the regular season with a record of 25-5 and won their 15^th Big Ten Championship by finishing with a 15-1 mark in conference play. Ohio State will be the No. 1 seed in this week’s Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis.

Kelsey Mitchell
5-9, Jr., Point Guard

Second Big Ten Player of the Year honor (2015)
Third time earning first team All-Big Ten and the second-straight season being a unanimous selection
Seventh Buckeye to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors
Leads the conference at 23.4 ppg and has made 100 three-pointers
Averaged 4.5 assists per game in conference play
Third in school-history with 2,463 career points
Has a team-high 39 steals and is shooting 45 percent on the season
Scored 20 or more points in each of the final 10 games of the regular season
A four-time Big Ten Player of the Week this season

Shayla Cooper
6-2, Sr., Forward

Second consecutive year being named second team All-Big Ten
Third on the team in scoring at 10.3 ppg and second at 6.0 rebounds per contest
Averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the final four games of the regular season
The lone senior on this year’s team

Stephanie Mavunga
6-3, R-Jr., Forward

First time earning All-Big Ten honors (First Team All-ACC in 2015)
Second in the conference in rebounding in league play
The most efficient rebounder in the country
Averages a double-double at 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per game
Leads the team with 11 double-doubles on the year
Blocked 2.3 shots per game in conference play

Sierra Calhoun
6-0, R-So., Guard

Fourth on the team in scoring at 10.1 ppg
Has made the second-most three-pointers on the team with 61
Shot over 43 percent from beyond the arc in conference play
Made 13 of her last 19 three-pointers attempts over the closing stretch of the season

Linnae Harper
5-8, R-Jr., Guard

Earns the Sixth Player of the Year ahead in her first season with the Buckeyes
Was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team as a sophomore in 2015
Averaged 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in just 19 games this season
Had a pair of double-doubles and scored in double-figures seven times

Tori McCoy
6-4, Fr., Forward

Averaging 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game
Leads the team and all conference freshmen with a .631 shooting percentage
Has played in all 30 games and has made five starts
Second on the team with 40 blocked shots
First Buckeye on the All-Freshman Team since Kelsey Mitchell and Alexa Hart in 2015