CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the third time in her career, Genesis Bryant has earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors, the conference office announced Monday. Putting together three phenomenal performances in Illinois' 3-0 week, Bryant led the Fighting Illini to two road wins in addition to the program's first-ever win over Maryland – marking Illinois' third win over an AP Top-25 ranked team this season.
Bryant averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.33 assists, 0.67 steals, 36.6 minutes, and a 1.17 assist-turnover ratio across the 3-0 week. She shot 44.4% (20-for-45) from the field, 55.6% (10-for-18) from 3-point range, and 91.7% from the free throw line.
The Jonesboro, Georgia, native posted 36.6 minutes per game across the three victories, playing all 45 minutes in Illinois' overtime win over Rutgers and all 40 in the Illini's road triumph against No. 14 Maryland, the program's first-ever victory against the Terrapins.
Tallying only 25 minutes in Illinois' 74-38 win against Purdue, Bryant started her impressive week by recording 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and 3-for-3 on 3-point attempts against the Boilermakers despite sitting out for the entirety of the fourth quarter.
She then secured a game-high 28 points in the Illini's 69-65 overtime road win over Rutgers while being the lone student-athlete to play all 45 minutes in the contest. Bryant outscored the Scarlet Knights herself, 14-12, in the fourth quarter, to send the game to overtime. She then made three clutch free throws in the overtime period to give Illinois the lead for good and finished with a season-best five 3-pointers.
Bryant saved the best for last, though, scoring 20 points and making the game-winning free throws in Illinois' 66-65 road victory over the No. 14 Terrapins. With no timeouts, down by one with the length of the court to go, and just 14 seconds on the clock, Bryant put the team on her back and drove to the basket. She drew a foul with six seconds left and sank both free throws with the XFINITY Center's 8,068 Senior Day fans on their feet and at their loudest of the day. Illinois would get a defensive stop at the other end to secure its fourth-straight Big Ten road win.
The fifth-year guard knocked down two 3-pointers against the Terps and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, including the two makes that sealed the win.
Across the week, Bryant posted her sixth and seventh 20-point outings of the season, and she has now scored in double figures 16 times and in each of her last four appearances.
Bryant was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time since doing so in back-to-back weeks during the 2022-23 season (Dec. 27, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023). She is the second Illini to earn Big Ten Player of the Week status this season, joining fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic, who earned the accolade on Nov. 25.
The weekly conference recognition was shared between Bryant and Iowa's Lucy Olsen.
Bryant averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.33 assists, 0.67 steals, 36.6 minutes, and a 1.17 assist-turnover ratio across the 3-0 week. She shot 44.4% (20-for-45) from the field, 55.6% (10-for-18) from 3-point range, and 91.7% from the free throw line.
The Jonesboro, Georgia, native posted 36.6 minutes per game across the three victories, playing all 45 minutes in Illinois' overtime win over Rutgers and all 40 in the Illini's road triumph against No. 14 Maryland, the program's first-ever victory against the Terrapins.
Tallying only 25 minutes in Illinois' 74-38 win against Purdue, Bryant started her impressive week by recording 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and 3-for-3 on 3-point attempts against the Boilermakers despite sitting out for the entirety of the fourth quarter.
She then secured a game-high 28 points in the Illini's 69-65 overtime road win over Rutgers while being the lone student-athlete to play all 45 minutes in the contest. Bryant outscored the Scarlet Knights herself, 14-12, in the fourth quarter, to send the game to overtime. She then made three clutch free throws in the overtime period to give Illinois the lead for good and finished with a season-best five 3-pointers.
Bryant saved the best for last, though, scoring 20 points and making the game-winning free throws in Illinois' 66-65 road victory over the No. 14 Terrapins. With no timeouts, down by one with the length of the court to go, and just 14 seconds on the clock, Bryant put the team on her back and drove to the basket. She drew a foul with six seconds left and sank both free throws with the XFINITY Center's 8,068 Senior Day fans on their feet and at their loudest of the day. Illinois would get a defensive stop at the other end to secure its fourth-straight Big Ten road win.
The fifth-year guard knocked down two 3-pointers against the Terps and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, including the two makes that sealed the win.
Across the week, Bryant posted her sixth and seventh 20-point outings of the season, and she has now scored in double figures 16 times and in each of her last four appearances.
Bryant was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time since doing so in back-to-back weeks during the 2022-23 season (Dec. 27, 2022, and Jan. 2, 2023). She is the second Illini to earn Big Ten Player of the Week status this season, joining fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic, who earned the accolade on Nov. 25.
The weekly conference recognition was shared between Bryant and Iowa's Lucy Olsen.
