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Joens 3-peats as Cheryl Miller Award winner

Sports

April 1st, 2023 by admin

AMES, Iowa – 3-peat. Ashley Joens did it again, as Iowa State’s women’s basketball star took home the Cheryl Miller Award, presented to women’s college basketball’s top small forward on Saturday. Joens is now owner of half the Miller Award’s in the six-year history of the trophy.

In addition, Iowa State is the home to four-of-six, with Bridget Carleton being the recipient in 2018-19.

Joens finished her Iowa State career with a huge collection of postseason honors. In addition to the Cheryl Miller Award, Joens was named to the WBCA All-America Team, a second Team All-American by the USBWA, a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press, the Big 12 Player of the Year and a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team (her fourth-straight season as a unanimous choice).

The Iowa State record books were rewritten by Joens, who will leave ISU as the career record holder for points (3,060), rebounds (1,391), games played and started (158), field goals (988), 3-pointers (344), free throws (740), double-doubles (65) and points per game (19.4). Her career points total ranks ninth in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball history, while games played and started are both Big 12 records.

Her final season in Ames saw Joens lead the Big 12 and rank ninth nationally averaging 21.6 points per game. She scored in double figures in 31 of 32 games for the Cyclones this season, going over 20 on 20 occasions, including each of Iowa State’s final 10 games. She also had 16 double-doubles on the season.

Joens helped lead the Cyclones to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship title two weeks ago with an all-time legendary weekend, being the unanimous selection as Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 26.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest, helping the Cyclones claim a first Big 12 trophy in 22 years.