Head coach Kevin McGuff calls out to his team from the sideline. No. 18 Ohio State upset No. 2 Iowa 100-92 at the Schottenstein Center Sunday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

The Big Ten Conference announced its awards Tuesday afternoon, and the Buckeyes went home winners in nearly every category. 

The No. 4 Ohio State women’s basketball team (25-4, 16-2 Big Ten) won several conference awards as six of its players were honored by the league’s coaches and/or media, capping off a bittersweet end to a remarkable regular season. 

Head coach Kevin McGuff was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, by both Big Ten coaches and media. 

Now in his 11th season, McGuff led the Buckeyes to the best regular season record of his career at 25-4, their first sole regular-season championship in over a decade and helped recruit several players who received honors on Tuesday. 

One includes graduate guard Celeste Taylor won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 

It’s the second Defensive Conference award of Taylor’s career as the Duke transfer also snagged the 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, following it up as the league’s coaches also selected her to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team this season. 

The media also named graduate guard Jacy Sheldon to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team and graduate forward Rebeka Mikulášiková as an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Sheldon and sophomore forward Cotie McMahon also won All-Big Ten First team. A Dublin, Ohio native, Sheldon continues to pile up awards in her decorated collegiate career. 

The graduate was a unanimous choice among coaches in receiving All-Big Ten First team and was also Ohio State’s sportsmanship award winner. Taylor and junior guard/forward Taylor Thierry were also selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. 

Ohio State put together one of its best seasons, tying its highest ranking in program history at No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, strung together victories in 15 consecutive games —the second longest win streak in conference play— in program history and went undefeated in January and February. 

The Buckeyes have four ranked wins this season with two of those coming against top-10 opponents, in then-No. 2 Iowa and then-No. 2 Indiana. As the No. 1 seed, Ohio State begins the Big Ten Tournament Friday at 12:30 p.m. 

It will face the winner of No. 8 Maryland versus No. 9 Illinois in a game broadcast on BTN, the FOX Sports app and AM1460.