WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the first time in 20 years, a Boilermaker has been named a Big Ten Freshman of the Year. After an impressive first campaign in West Lafayette, Mary Ashley Stevenson was tabbed the top freshman in the Big Ten by the league's media.
Stevenson is Purdue's fourth Freshman of the Year and first since head coach Katie Gearlds garnered the award after her first season at Purdue in 2003-04.
She also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman teams from the coaches and media, as well as an honorable mention all-conference nod by the media.
The New York City native averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with a 43.1% shooting clip. Stevenson finished third among Big Ten freshmen in scoring and second in rebounding. Her 82.4% mark at the charity stripe led the league's freshmen and was fourth nationally among rookies averaging two made free throws per game.
In Big Ten action, Stevenson tallied 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per night. Her shooting clip jumped up to 43.4%, while she went 43-of-47 at the line for 91.5%. She finished second in freshman rebounding in league games and second in scoring.
Stevenson has worn a protective face mask for the last nine games after breaking her nose against Ohio State. She has averaged 10.7 points while shooting 51.4% from the field and 95.5% at the line in those games.
She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice and earned the first USBWA National Freshman of the Week honor in Purdue history.
Stevenson finished in double figures 14 times, 12th most by a Purdue freshman in the last 30 years. She joined Shereka Wright and Katie Douglas as the only Boilermaker freshmen to record 275 points and 140 rebounds.
Nebraska's Natalie Potts was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year after a tight vote by the coaches.
Jeanae Terry picked up her third postseason honor as a Boilermaker, earning honorable mention all-conference status from the coaches and media.
Terry finished another all-around campaign with 5.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She ranked second in the Big Ten in assists and fifth in rebounding. After becoming the second player in league history to reach 900 rebounds, 700 assists and 200 steals, Terry joined Iowa's Caitlin Clark as the only players in the nation to average over seven rebounds, six assists and one steal per game.
Harper also received honorable mention laurels from the media and coaches following a season with 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game behind a 55% shooting clip. Harper was one of five posts from the Big Ten to average over 10 points and shoot 55% or better this season.
She set her Purdue career high with 29 points against Penn State on senior night before her season was cut short due to injury. Harper etched her name in sixth in career field goal percentage.
Harper was named Purdue's Sportsmanship Award honoree.
Rashunda Jones landed a spot on the media's Big Ten All-Freshman team. Jones was fourth in the league freshman scoring at 7.7 points per game. Her 1.7 assists per game ranked third among the conference's rookies, while finishing third in usage rate at 28%.