# 2020–21 Big Ten Conference women's basketball season

The 2020–21 Big Ten women's basketball season began with practices in October 2020, followed by the start of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November 2020. The regular season will end in March, 2021.
The Big Ten tournament will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2021.

## Head coaches
### Coaches

| Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years at school | Overall record | Big Ten record | Big Ten titles | Big Ten tournament titles | NCAA Tournaments | NCAA Final Fours | NCAA Championships |
| Illinois | Nancy Fahey | Washington (MO) | 4 | 30–58 | 4–46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Indiana | Teri Moren | Indiana State | 7 | 127–74 | 56–48 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa | Lisa Bluder | Drake | 21 | 416–222 | 207–128 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Maryland | Brenda Frese | Minnesota | 19 | 486–128 | 92–12* | 5 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| Michigan | Kim Barnes Arico | St. John's (Asst.) | 9 | 177–96 | 76–60 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan State | Suzy Merchant | Eastern Michigan | 14 | 281–148 | 136–86 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | Lindsay Whalen | Minnesota Lynx (Player) | 3 | 37–26 | 14–22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska | Amy Williams | South Dakota | 5 | 59–62 | 30–38 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwestern | Joe McKeown | George Washington | 12 | 206–175 | 83–121 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio State | Kevin McGuff | Washington | 8 | 155–77 | 82–38 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Penn State | Carolyn Kieger | Marquette | 2 | 7–23 | 1–17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Purdue | Sharon Versyp | Indiana | 15 | 294–176 | 136–102 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Rutgers | C. Vivian Stringer | Iowa | 26 | 521–286 | 53–49* | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | Jonathan Tsipis | George Washington | 5 | 44–79 | 12–56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
* All records, appearances, titles, etc. are from time with current school only.
* Year at school includes 2020–21 season.
* Overall and Big Ten records are from time at current school and are through the beginning of the season.
* Frese's ACC conference record excluded since Maryland began Big Ten Conference play in 2014–15.
* Stringer's Big East and American conference record excluded since Rutgers began Big Ten Conference play in 2014–15.

## Preseason
### Preseason conference poll

The Big Ten released the preseason ranking on November 11, 2020, which featured a ranking by both media and coaches.
Media :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Indiana |
| 2 | Northwestern |
| 3 | Maryland |
| 4 | Michigan |
| 5 | Ohio State |
Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Indiana |
| 2 | Maryland |
| 3 | Michigan |
| 4 | Northwestern |
| 5 | Ohio State |

### Preseason national polls

| | AP | CBS Sports | Coaches | ESPNW |
| Illinois | | | | |
| Indiana | 16 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
| Iowa | | | | |
| Maryland | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Michigan | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
| Michigan State | | | | |
| Minnesota | | | | |
| Nebraska | | | | |
| Northwestern | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| Ohio State | 20 | 25 | 22 | 21 |
| Penn State | | | | |
| Purdue | | | | |
| Rutgers | | | | |
| Wisconsin | | | | |

## Honors and awards
### All-Big Ten awards and teams

On March 8, 2021, the Big Ten announced its conference awards.
| Honor | Winner |
| Player of the Year | Naz Hillmon, Michigan |
| Coach of the Year | Brenda Frese, Maryland |
| Freshman of the Year | Caitlin Clark, Iowa |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Veronica Burton, Northwestern |
| Sixth Player of the Year | Maddie Burke, Penn State |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Grace Berger, Indiana |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Caitlin Clark, Iowa |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Monika Czinano, Iowa |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Diamond Miller, Maryland |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Ashley Owusu, Maryland |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Naz Hillmon, Michigan |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Nia Clouden, Michigan State |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Veronica Burton, Northwestern |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Dorka Juhász, Ohio State |
| All-Big Ten First Team | Arella Guirantes, Rutgers |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Ali Patberg, Indiana |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Katie Benzan, Maryland |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Leigha Brown, Michigan |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Jasmine Powell, Minnesota |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Sam Haiby, Nebraska |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Lindsey Pulliam, Northwestern |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Kayana Traylor, Purdue |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | Diamond Johnson, Rutgers |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Chloe Bibby, Maryland |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Sara Scalia, Minnesota |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Isabelle Bourne, Nebraska |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Kate Cain, Nebraska |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Madison Greene, Ohio State |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Johnasia Cash, Penn State |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Makenna Marisa, Penn State |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Tekia Mack, Rutgers |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Sydney Hilliard, Wisconsin |
| All-Big Ten Honorable Mention | Imani Lewis, Wisconsin |
| All-Freshman Team | Caitlin Clark, Iowa |
| All-Freshman Team | Kateri Poole, Ohio State |
| All-Freshman Team | Maddie Burke, Penn State |
| All-Freshman Team | Madison Layden,Purdue |
| All-Freshman Team | Diamond Johnson, Rutgers |
| All-Defensive Team | Akienreh Johnson, Michigan |
| All-Defensive Team | Kate Cain, Nebraska |
| All-Defensive Team | Veronica Burton, Northwestern |
| All-Defensive Team | Sydney Wood, Northwestern |
| All-Defensive Team | Tekia Mack, Rutgers |