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Nia Clouden awarded First Team All-Big Ten honors by media and coaches

March 9, 2021
<p>Junior guard Nia Clouden (24) shoots for a basket during a game against Iowa on Dec. 12, 2020 at the Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes 86-82.</p>

Junior guard Nia Clouden (24) shoots for a basket during a game against Iowa on Dec. 12, 2020 at the Breslin Center. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes 86-82.

Photo by Lauren Snyder | The State News

Michigan State junior guard Nia Clouden has been selected First Team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and the media for the 2021 season.

Clouden was among 10 other All-Big Ten First Team selections for the coaches and among 9 others in the media vote. No other Spartan received honors.

On the season, Clouden averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists per game and led the team both throughout the season. Prior to the final three games of the season, Clouden had scored double-digit points in each game, including a career-high 34 points against Michigan. Clouden also reached the 1,000 point milestone for her career this season against her hometown team Maryland.

This season, Clouden has been the steady force that has carried the Spartans to victory and likely to an NCAA tournament bid.

“She’s been consistent, and I think she’s just someone that we can rely on,” Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant said. “When we have some ups and downs, sometimes we don’t know who our second and third scorer some nights are going to be, but we always know Nia is going to get us something.”

Despite her recent struggles, Clouden will be crucial to the Spartans' success this offseason.

"We gotta get Nia Clouden back on track, that’s back-to-back game she hasn’t really played very well offensively for us,” Merchant said. “Certainly, Alyza started to come to life and then didn’t score at all really today. Janai gotta finish better too, we just gotta get better.”

Michigan State and Clouden will take accolades into Indianapolis, looking to take down Penn State on Wednesday at 6:30 to help cement their tournament hopes.

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