Ashley Joens was named Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Joens is coming off a historic season where she led the Cyclones to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2010. With her help, Iowa State ended the season with a program-best 28 wins. Her efforts also earned her the Cheryl Miller Award for the second straight year, an award given to the nation’s top small forward. 

Joens averaged 20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in the 2021-22 season and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team. Her versatility across the court showed as she shot 37.6 percent from past the arc, setting a new career-best for 3-pointers (91).

Her dominance on the court caught looks from the entire Big 12, as she was in the running for the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year after last season. Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo edged out Joens for the award after she led the Sooners to a softball national championship win.

Joens is entering the 2022-23 season as the nation’s leading scorer, with 2,369 points. She currently sits at the No. 1 on the Iowa State scoring list. 

Joens is only the third Iowa State player selected to be Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and the first in over 20 years. With a majority of the roster returning for the 2022-23 season, Joens will get the chance to lead the Cyclones to another historic season.