Monika Czinano

ROSEMONT, Ill. — University of Iowa junior post Monika Czinano has been named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Conference women’s basketball team, the league office announced Wednesday.

Czinano, a 2019-20 first team all-Big Ten selection by the media, earns the first preseason honor of her career. The Watertown, Minn., native led the Big Ten in shooting percentage (67.9) and ranked second nationally last season.

Czinano averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds per game, scoring at 20 points in 10 games — eight of them in Big Ten action.

Indiana was chosen as the preseason Big Ten women’s basketball favorite by both the conference’s 14 head coaches and a select media panel.

Michigan’s Naz Hillmon and Rutgers’ Arella Guirantes share Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year honors in the coaches’ balloting, while Northwestern’s Lindsey Pulliam was voted Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by the media.

Czinano, Hillmon, Guirantes and Pulliam joined Indiana’s Grace Berger and Ali Patberg, Maryland’s Ashley Owusu, Michigan State’s Nia Clouden, Northwestern’s Veronica Burton and Ohio State’s Dorka Juhász garnered Preseason All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and the media.

Indiana was one of five Big Ten schools in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, with the Hoosiers in at No. 16.