2024 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament: Day 2 Preview
Now we're starting to get into the thick of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament. Over the next two days, eight games will be played to help determine a tournament champion. This is where the fun begins.
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, though.
Purdue opened the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday with a 78-72 victory over Northwestern in the first game from Minneapolis. Abbey Ellis lit up the Wildcats, scoring 25 points in the victory.
It was the Amaya Battle show in the second game, with the Minnesota star dropping 32 points on Rutgers en route to a 77-69 win over the Scarlet Knights.
With the first day in the rearview mirror, let's look ahead to Day 2 on Thursday, with four games on the schedule. All four contests will air on the Big Ten Network.
View the complete Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament bracket here.
No. 9 Illinois vs. No. 8 Maryland
- Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Game: No. 3
Preview
- Illinois record: 14-14 (8-10 in Big Ten)
- Maryland record: 17-12 (9-9 in Big Ten)
- Regular season meeting(s): Maryland def. Illinois 90-82 on Jan. 20; Maryland def. Illinois 69-53 on Feb. 11.
Maryland's Shyanne Sellers and Jakia Brown-Turner both recorded double-doubles in the January victory over Illinois at Champaign. The Fighting Illini also had no answer for Allie Kubek and Lavender Briggs, who combined for 28 points off the bench.
The Terrapins have also played some of their best basketball recently, winning five of their last eight games of the season. Illinois has played well in recent weeks, too. The Fighting Illini stunned No. 14 Indiana and closed the regular season with a victory over Nebraska. The third meeting between Maryland and Illinois might be the most entertaining.
Illinois players to watch
- Kendall Bostic, senior: Bostic has been one of the more under-appreciated players in the Big Ten this season, averaging a double-double with 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. The senior forward has also a recorded a double-double in each of her last five games. It's been tough for teams to keep her off the glass this season
- Makira Cook, senior: At 15.5 points per game, Cook leads the Illini in scoring and is also the top passer with 4.2 assists per contest. She's got fire down the stretch, scoring 20 points or more in three of the final four games of the regular season.
- Genesis Bryant, senior: Illinois isn't a great 3-point shooting team, but Bryant is the best of the bunch. She's hitting from behind the arc at a 35.2% clip with more than 150 attempts from long range. Bryant does have the ability to light it up, knocking down six triples in a nonconference game against Missouri.
Maryland players to watch
- Shyanne Sellers, junior: The 6-foot-2 guard can do literally anything on the court. Sellers has flirted with a triple-double on a few occasions this season and is also capable of scoring at a high rate. She enters the Big Ten Tournament averaging 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Sellers was a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
- Jakia Brown-Turner, senior: Brown-Turner may not be the tallest player on the floor (6-foot), but she's been Maryland's top rebounder this season, grabbing 6.5 boards per game. She can also put the ball in the hoop, scoring 32 points in 31 minutes in a win over Penn State.
- Brinae Alexander, senior: Alexander is probably the best threat for the Terrapins behind the 3-point line, hitting at a 38.1% mark for the year. Teams will have to account for her ability to knock down shots from the perimeter.
No. 12 Purdue vs. No. 5 Nebraska
- Time: 25 minutes after Game 3
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Game: No. 4
Preview
- Purdue record: 13-17 (5-13 in Big Ten)
- Nebraska record: 19-10 (11-7 in Big Ten)
- Regular season meeting(s): Nebraska def. Purdue 68-54 on Jan. 31; Nebraska def. Purdue 77-65 on Feb. 17.
The third quarter performances from Nebraska have been key in two wins over Purdue this season. The Boilermakers found themselves in close contests with the Huskers at halftime of both games but struggled in the second halves. Plus, Purdue had no answer for Huskers star Alexis Markowski, who scored 34 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in the two meetings.
Nebraska has had a really solid season and closed the year strong, winning five of their final seven games, which included a victory over No. 2 Iowa. Despite losing to Illinois in the regular season finale, the Huskers should be carrying plenty of momentum into the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue also has some momentum, coming off a win over Northwestern in the opening round of the tournament.
Purdue players to watch
- Abbey Ellis, senior: Ellis has been Purdue's leading scorer this season, averaging 14.2 points per game. She's been scoring at a high rate in the last four games of the regular season, scoring more than 20 points three times. Ellis also dropped 25 points on Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament opener Wednesday.
- Jeanae Terry, senior: She's not the most dynamic scorer on the floor, but Terry does a lot of little things to help her team. She's averaging 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists to go along with 5.1 points per game this season. The senior had 16 boards against the Wildcats on Wednesday night.
- Mary Ashley Stevenson, freshman: Earlier this week, Stevenson was named the media's Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In her first season in West Lafayette, Stevenson has averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Her top performance came in an overtime win over Illinois, when she scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Nebraska players to watch
- Alexis Markowski, junior: Markowski has been a walking double-double this season, recording 17 for the year. Her best outing came in a win over Purdue, scoring 20 points and grabbing 21 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 center has been a tough cover for most teams in the low post. Markowski was a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
- Jaz Shelley, senior: While she's capable of scoring, Shelley can be most dangerous as a distributor, dishing out 5.2 assists per game this season. The senior has recorded six assists or more in each of the final four games of the regular season. She also hit double-digit scoring totals three times in that stretch.
- Natalie Potts, freshman: Voted the Freshman of the Year by Big Ten coaches, Potts has been a tremendous addition for Nebraska this season. She's averaging 10.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while making 52% of her shots from the floor. Potts hasn't been afraid to step into a significant role and contribute.
No. 10 Wisconsin vs. No. 7 Penn State
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Game: No. 5
Preview
- Wisconsin record: 13-15 (6-12 in Big Ten)
- Penn State record: 18-11 (9-9 in Big Ten)
- Regular season meeting(s): Wisconsin def. Penn State 69-64 on Feb. 11.
Wisconsin's Serah Williams went off in the Feb. 11 win over Penn State, scoring 31 points and grabbing 15 rebounds while shooting 11-of-15 from the floor. No other Badger scored more than eight points in the game. The Nittany Lions also shot just eight-of-28 from 3-point range in the game.
The Badgers enter the Big Ten Tournament ice cold, having lost their last three games by an average margin of 22 points per game. Penn State, on the other hand, has won each of its last two games, including an impressive 90-34 victory over Minnesota in the season finale.
Wisconsin players to watch
- Serah Williams, sophomore: After a sensational season, Williams was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by the media, also earning first-team All-Big Ten and All-Defensive team honors. She's great at altering shots, averaging 2.8 blocks per game. But Williams is also a force offensively. She was a double-double machine, ending the year averaging 18.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
- Ronnie Porter, sophomore: To put it simply, Porter is a hooper. She can do anything on the floor, averaging 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She's the type of player any coach would love to have on their team.
- Brooke Schramek, senior: Schramek has been another consistent player for the Badgers this season. She's hit a double-digit scoring total 10 times on the year. The senior blocked four shots in the season finale against Michigan State.
Penn State players to watch
- Ashley Owusu, senior: Owusu enters the Big Ten Tournament as Penn State's leading scorer, averaging 18 points per game. She's also posting 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest while shooting 48.9% from the floor. She's only played in 14 games for the Nittany Lions, but has reached double figures 13 times.
- Leilani Kapinus, junior: A Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection, Kapinus has been a pest to opponents this year. She's forced 2.1 steals and collected 1.2 blocks per game. She's also Penn State's top rebounder with 6.6 per game and is scoring more than 11 points per contest.
- Shay Ciezki, sophomore: Ciezki has been effective from the 3-point line all season, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range. She's shown the ability to catch fire, knocking down seven triples against Oklahoma State and going eight-of-14 from deep against Central Connecticut State.
No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Michigan
- Time: 25 minutes after Game 5
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Game: No. 6
Preview
- Minnesota record: 16-14 (5-13 in Big Ten)
- Michigan record:18-12 (9-9 in Big Ten)
- Regular season meeting(s): Minnesota def. Michigan 82-66 on Jan. 9.
Minnesota took care of Michigan with a big fourth quarter back in January, but that was a different Golden Gophers team. That was before the Mara Braun and Sophie Hart injuries. So don't look too much into that first meeting between these two teams.
Michigan will want to keep a close eye on Battle, who scored 32 points in Minnesota's opening-round win over Rutgers on Wednesday evening. The Wolverines have been playing .500 basketball recently, posting a 4-4 record in their last eight games.
Minnesota players to watch
- Grace Grocholski, freshman: The freshman guard has been really impressive for the Gophers this season, averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She can also be a weapon from behind the 3-point line, knocking down 36.1% of her attempts on the year.
- Mallory Heyer, sophomore: Heyer has nearly averaged a double-double this season, posting 9.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She struggled offensively in the last two games of the regular season, failing to score a point on 13 shot attempts in losses to Penn State and Iowa. Still, she provides a solid interior presence.
- Amaya Battle, sophomore: Battle has been an excellent scorer and distributor for the Gophers this season, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 assists per contest. The sophomore guard lit up Rutgers in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament, scoring 32 points and dishing out seven assists in the victory to advance to Day 2.
Michigan players to watch
- Laila Phelia, junior: Phelia is Michigan's top scorer, averaging 16 points per game. She was a first-team All-Big Ten selection at the end of the regular season, largely because of her effectiveness on both ends of the floor. She's also one of the team's top defenders, averaging 1.3 steals per game.
- Lauren Hansen, senior: Teams will have to keep an eye on Hansen regardless of where she stands on the floor. She's shooting nearly 42% from the floor and is a 36.5% 3-point shooter this season. Small note, but Hansen also hasn't missed a free throw since Jan. 31.
- Jordan Hobbs, junior: Hobbs is a solid all-around player for the Wolverines and is the top passer with 2.9 assists per game. She's also been a reliable guard, shooting at a 43.2% clip and logging nearly 29 minutes per game, the second-highest average on the team.
Related Big Ten stories
- UPDATE ON HOLMES, MEISTER: Indiana women's basketball forwards Mackenzie Holmes and Lilly Meister both exited Sunday's win over Maryland with injuries, and head coach Teri Moren updated their status Monday. CLICK HERE
- SARA SCALIA SENIOR DAY VIDEO: Here's the video of Sara Scalia's senior day tribute following Indiana women's basketball's 71-54 win over Maryland on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
- MACKENZIE HOLMES SENIOR DAY VIDEO: Here's the full video of Mackenzie Holmes' senior day speech following Indiana women's basketball's 71-54 win over Maryland on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
- ARIELLE WISNE SENIOR DAY VIDEO: Here's the full video of Arielle Wisne singing the national anthem before Indiana women's basketball's 71-54 win over Maryland on senior day at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, plus her postgame tribute video. CLICK HERE