Hillmon Named Wolverines' MVP For Second Straight Season
5/13/2020 7:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Sophomore Naz Hillmon was named the Most Valuable Player for the second straight season as the University of Michigan women's basketball team celebrated its 2019-20 season with a virtual banquet on Wednesday evening (May 13).
Hillmon, who earned WBCA All-Region and All-America honorable mention, repeated as MVP after ranking in the top five in Big Ten scoring (17.4 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.567). She started all 32 games, scoring in double figures 28 times with 11 double-doubles. She topped the 20-point mark 14 times, highlighted by a 30-point, 10-rebound performance against No. 18 Iowa (Feb. 2). She was unanimously named to the All-Big Ten first team by both the coaches and the media, one of four players in the league to earn that distinction. She was named the ESPNW and Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 3, while grabbing a spot on the weekly honor roll four times. Hillmon also won the Leaders and Best Award, given to the player who accumulated the most practice points in categories established by the coaching staff.
Senior Kayla Robbins earned the Diane Dietz Michigan Way Award, given to honor the student-athlete who best embodies the values and work ethic of a Michigan women's basketball player. Robbins saw her senior season cut short when she suffered a knee injury at Nebraska (Jan. 19). Prior to that, she started all 18 games and averaged career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (5.2) and minutes (25.8) per game. She scored in double figures 11 times, including a 23-point performance in Michigan's comeback win over Syracuse (Dec. 5). She also was recognized as sharing the Heart and Hustle Award for stickers accumulated during games, as she was in the lead when she was injured.
Senior Akienreh Johnson was given the Academic Excellence award, given to the player who achieved on the court and in the classroom who plans to attend graduate school. Johnson was awarded a fifth year of eligibility and will be back on the court next season in maize and blue as she pursues her master's degree in the School of Social Work. Johnson was steady all season for the Wolverines, starting all 32 games and averaging 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per contest. She scored in double figures 14 times, highlighted by the first double-double of her career when she turned in 24 points and 11 rebounds against Rutgers (Jan. 26). Johnson also was recognized as sharing the Heart and Hustle Award for stickers accumulated during games.
Sophomore Amy Dilk earned the Most Improved award after upping her scoring by more than four points per game during her second season. Dilk was named All-Big Ten second team by the coaches after averaging 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in a team-high 34.7 minutes per game. She recorded the first double-double of her career this past season and had four 20-point games as a sophomore after not reaching the mark as a freshman. Dilk tallied 21 double-figure contests, hitting the mark in 14 of Michigan's 18 Big Ten contests.
Junior Hailey Brown was given the Samantha Provenzano Perseverance Award for her contributions to the team this past season. Brown started 31 games, averaging 8.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per game. She scored in double figures 14 times, including in all three of Michigan's Big Ten Tournament games. She led the Wolverines with 56 triples on the season, hitting 36.6 percent of her shots from distance.
Freshman Maddie Nolan picked up the Unsung Hero award, given to the player whose contributions might not always appear in a box score but are invaluable to the team. Nolan started the final 11 games of the season after injuries forced her into a major role, averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game over that stretch. Prior to moving into a starting role, Nolan appeared in 15 games, averaging 1.2 points and 0.9 rebounds in 8.7 minutes per contest. She scored in double figures three times, highlighted by a 13-point performance in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over No. 11 Northwestern (March 6).
Michigan finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-11 overall record, reaching the 20-win mark for the ninth straight year. U-M advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament and finished seventh in the league with a 10-8 conference mark.
