Nebraska women’s basketball players Jaz Shelley and Natalie Potts captured Big Ten honors when the conference announced its weekly award winners on Monday, Feb. 12.
Shelley, a 5-9 graduate guard from Moe (pronounced MO-ee), Australia, earned the first Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award of her career after producing 23 points, three rebounds and five assists in Nebraska’s 82-79 come-from-behind upset of No. 2 Iowa in Lincoln on Sunday afternoon.
Shelley completed Nebraska’s rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit by scoring Nebraska’s final seven points. Her three-pointer with 31 seconds left gave the Huskers their first lead of the game at 78-77, before sealing the victory with four clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds. For the game, Shelley knocked down 5-of-10 three-pointers.
Shelley opened the week with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in a crucial 65-59 road win at Michigan to complete a season series sweep of the always-tough Wolverines. For the week, Shelley averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists while hitting 11-of-22 shots from the field, including 7-of-15 three-pointers. She is averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and team bests of 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals on the season.
While Shelley completed the Husker comeback against the Hawkeyes, Natalie Potts gave the Big Red a big spark early in the fourth quarter on her way to her sixth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award of the season. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in the fourth quarter to pull Nebraska within striking distance against the Hawkeyes.
Potts finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists. She opened Nebraska’s 2-0 week with 12 points and three rebounds in a hard-fought road win at Michigan. For the week, Potts averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds.
She currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring (10.6 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (.529) on the season.
Nebraska (16-8, 8-5 Big Ten) returns to Big Ten road action on Wednesday when the Huskers travel to Columbus to take on No. 2 Ohio State (21-3, 12-1). Tip-off between the Big Red and the Buckeyes is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with live coverage provided by Peacock.
