Nebraska WBB: Bourne Earns Conference and National Weekly Honors

Sophomore forward and team captain, Isabelle Bourne has been named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week and National College Sports Madness Women’s Basketball Player of the Week.

Since returning from her ankle injury, Bourne has been nearly unstoppable - especially as a defender. The press releases below don’t adequately convey how dominant she has become in disrupting the opposing team’s game plans or in shutting down whomever she is guarding. In yesterday’s game vs Penn State, she drew eight fouls on Lady Lions players.

Her size (6-2), athleticism and high basketball IQ make her a matchup nightmare. She can post up and score, shoot the three, handle the ball in transition, come off a screen and roll to score, and well...you get the idea. While these honors were earned playing a power forward role this past week (Bella Cravens is sidelined with an injury) Bourne has also been asked to play a hybrid wing/forward role at times this season - a task she handled with aplomb.

From the Big Ten:

-Averaged 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game with two double-doubles last week, leading the Huskers to a pair of wins, including a road victory at No. 24/22 Northwestern

-Tallied 21 points and a career-high 17 points in the Feb. 17 win at NU, Nebraska’s fourth Top 25 victory this season

-Tied her career high with 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Sunday’s win over Penn State

-Earns her first career Big Ten Player of the Week award

-Last Nebraska Player of the Week: Kate Cain (Jan. 18, 2021)

From the Athletic Department (re: College Sports Madness award):

Bourne, a 6-2 sophomore from Canberra, Australia, produced the best week of her career with back-to-back double-doubles in wins at No. 24 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and against Penn State (Feb. 21) to earn the website’s Big Ten Conference Player-of-the-Week award as well.

In the victory at No. 24 Northwestern on Wednesday, Bourne scored 21 points and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds in the 71-64 win over the Wildcats. Bourne also dished out two assists, blocked two shots and recorded a steal in helping the Huskers to a season sweep of the defending Big Ten co-champions.

In Sunday’s win over Penn State at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Bourne tied her career high with 22 points while adding 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots to help the Huskers run to an 87-72 win over the Lady Lions.

For the week, Bourne averaged 21.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 blocks while hitting 13-of-26 shots, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, and 14-of-20 free throws.

Bourne, who has posted three straight double-doubles and owns five on the season, has increased her season averages to 14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks. Her 8.2 rebounds ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten.

This is a well-deserved honor for the young Husker. I look forward to watching her on the court for years to come!