Naz Hillmon is first UM women's basketball player to be AP All-American

The honors keep coming for Michigan junior forward Naz Hillmon.

Hillmon, who last week was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year, has made the Associated Press All-American second team, announced Wednesday. She is the first player in program history to earn AP All-American honors, and she was the Wolverines’ second player to become a three-time consensus All-Big Ten first team player, joining Michigan standout Katelynn Flaherty (2016-2018).

“Naz Hillmon is the best player in the country,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico told reporters last month.

She also is one of five finalists for the Katrina McClain Award, which recognizes the top power forward in Division I basketball and is one of 15 players named to the national ballot for the Wooden Award.

But more pressing for Hillmon and the 16th-ranked Wolverines is their upcoming first-round NCAA Tournament game on Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast (26-2). The Wolverines (14-5) were traveling Wednesday to San Antonio, where the entire NCAA Tournament is being held. The winner Sunday advances to face the winner of No. 3 Tennessee (16-7) and No. 14 Middle Tennessee State (17-7).

Hillmon leads the team averaging 25.1 points and 11.4 rebounds while averaging 33.2 minutes. In the Wolverines’ last game, a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal loss to Northwestern, she had 26 points, 12 rebounds, her 13th double-double of the season. That also was her 16th 20-point game of the year. In a loss to Ohio State earlier this season, she had 50 points and had 16 rebounds.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis