Inside The Hawkeyes

Why Iowa's Ava Heiden Should Win B1G Player of the Year

There isn't anyone in the nation who has made as much of an impact as this Iowa Hawkeyes sophomore.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes Ava Heiden (5) shoots against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes Ava Heiden (5) shoots against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes wouldn't be where they are at this point in the season if not for sophomore Ava Heiden.

Their 6'4'' center had a massive leap from her freshman to sophomore campaign, something arguably not even second year head coach Jan Jensen saw coming.

Heiden is currently averaging 17.6 points per game with 7.7 rebounds a game on top of that. She's had nine double-doubles this season as she's shooting a staggering 65.1% from the field.

In terms of B1G Player of the Year, UCLA's Lauren Betts is getting all the attention. It's not as clear cut of a decision as it once was, but there's a strong case to be made for Heiden to win it over Betts.

Making a Case for Heiden to Win Instead of Betts

Betts has the slight edge as she recorded 11 double-doubles this season, but that doesn't mean everything. Two extra double-doubles shouldn't be the end of the world when she is actually averaging over a point less per game.

Sure, Betts makes up for it with double the average in terms of assists, but it's not like 3.2 assists per game is that impressive either. It's certainly better than Heiden's 1.6 per game, but that should be taken with a grain of salt.

The biggest difference between the two is their field goal percentage. Heiden is one of the top shooters in the entire country as she's far more efficient than most, especially knowing her age. Betts is shooting 55.8% from the field which is extremely respectable, but it's nearly 10% less than Heiden's which is a huge boost for the Oregon native.

Betts Doesn't Deserve it Simply Because She's a Senior

While these awards should always go to the best player in the conference, there's a belief that Heiden has two more chances to win it therefore Betts deserves to take the hardware home for the 2025-26 season. That simply is unfair, and ultimately makes no sense.

All things considered, Betts has actually regressed quite significantly. Her 28 starts this year are six fewer than what she did last year, though obviously this season still has a pair of tournaments remaining. That said, she averaged 20.2 points per game a year ago and it's going to be very difficult to get her average up that much in a few more games.

Heiden went from a 5.0 ppg freshman who played under 10 minutes a game to someone who started all 29 of the Hawkeyes contests. She's a clear candidate for B1G Player of the Year, it's just a matter of making a strong case, which she absolutely has.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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