The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletics Communications:
AMES, Iowa – Ashley Joens’ pursuit of a third Cheryl Miller Award, given to the nation’s top small forward, progressed again on Wednesday with Joens being named to the 2023 Mid-Season Top 10, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced on Wednesday.
It has been another busy week on the awards front for Joens, as Monday saw her named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season and to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20.
From Iowa City, Joens has been outstanding for the Cyclones once again, leading the Big 12 and ranking nationally at 20.2 points per game. She has been in double figures of 18-of-19 games, over 20 points nine times and has a pair of 30-point games, the latest being her 32-point outing in the win over then-No. 14 Oklahoma on Saturday. Joens also has nine double-doubles on the season.
A fifth-year senior who has started in all 145 games she has played for the Cyclones in her career, Joens has cleaned out the Iowa State record books, sitting as ISU’s career leader in games played, games started, points, scoring average, rebounds, double-doubles, field goals made and attempted, 3-pointers made and attempted and free throws made and attempted. Her 2,752 career points is the active leader among all NCAA women’s basketball players across all divisions and is 31st all-time for NCAA Division I.
Joens has racked up the honors this season, having earned Big 12 Player of the Week twice to bring her career total to 12, ranked tied for second in Big 12 history. Prior to the season, Joens was also named to the Preseason Associated Press All-America Team, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team, the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List and the Wade Trophy “Wade Watch”.
Joens entered the season as the two-time defending winner of the Cheryl Miller Award, a WBCA All-American and an AP and USBWA Second Team All-American in 2021-22, an honorable mention All-American through the AP, USBWA and WBCA the past two seasons and a three-time unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection.
Joens and the No. 12 Cyclones resume action at Kansas State tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Big 12 Now.
