Maryland women’s basketball guard Taylor Mikesell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the conference’s coaches on Monday.
The Massillon, Ohio, native averaged 13.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds to help the Terps to a Big Ten regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Mikesell was particularly lethal from behind the three-point arc.
She drilled 86 treys during her freshman campaign to lead the conference, and she led the conference shooting 43 percent from behind the arc.
[Read more: After gutting out a Big Ten title, Maryland women’s basketball is ready for the postseason]
Mikesell’s 86 three-pointers are the most ever by a Maryland freshman in a single campaign, and the total ranks second nationally among first-year players.
Mikesell arrived in College Park with the reputation as a sharpshooter having won a national three-point contest in high school, but the freshman surprised with her ability to run the Terps’ offense.
Against Delaware on Dec. 20, coach Brenda Frese moved Mikesell to the point in preparation for conference play, and despite an uneven beginning — she had 11 giveaways in her first two starts at point guard — she settled down to guide Maryland to a 15-3 mark in the Big Ten and a fourth conference crown in five tries. By the end of the regular season, Mikesell led the Terps with 34.3 minutes a game.
Michigan forward Naz Hillmon was the media’s choice for Freshman of the Year. She averaged 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds during the 2018-19 campaign.
Mikesell, along with forward Shakira Austin and Hillmon, were also named to the All-Freshman team.
