Big Ten Spotlight Player of the Week: Megan Gustafson
By Jared Hines
A season for the ages.
If you are a basketball fan — especially a fan of NCAAW — you know who Iowa’s Megan Gustafson is. She’s the best player in the Big Ten Conference and one of the best players in the nation. In her career, she has won the Big Ten Player of the Week 20 times including ten this season, both new conference records. The forward/center from Port Wing, Wisconsin is special, but what she did last week impressed even her biggest fans, helping the Hawkeyes to go 2-0 with wins over No. 23 Michigan State and Ohio State.
One of Gustafson’s best games of her career came on Feb. 7 in an 86-71 win over No. 23 Michigan State. Gustafson played 35 minutes, taking 24 shots and making 17 of them, both season highs. The Hawkeye senior totaled 41 points, added 14 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and was perfect from the free-throw line. It was Gustafson’s second 40-point game of the season, with the other coming on Dec. 21, 2018 vs. Drake, when Gustafson had 44 points.
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Three days later, Gustafson and company traveled on the road to Columbus to take on Ohio State where again the Hawkeyes controlled the game early en route to a 78-52 win.
In the second game of the week, Gustafson had 29 points, her seventh straight game of 25 or more points. She was a cool 73.7-percent from the field, made the only free throw she attempted and added 16 rebounds, well above her 12.8 season average.
Gustafson recent scoring outburst has increased her points per game total to 27.3, the highest in the nation while her rebounds have hovered around 13, currently at 12.8. Gustafson currently shoots 70.6-percent from the field–the second highest in the nation.
Iowa improved to 19-5 with one of the team’s biggest games of the season upcoming on Feb. 17 vs. No. 10 Maryland. Before that, the Hawkeyes will welcome Illinois in for a 7 p.m. game on Feb. 14. Iowa won the first matchup 94-75 on Jan. 20.