EAST LANSING — Michigan State junior guard Nia Clouden was named to the First-Team All-Big Ten group for the 2020-21 season, MSU Athletics reported on Monday. Clouden has now received All-Big Ten honors in all three of her years at Michigan State, but this is her first time being named to the first team. The All-Big Ten team is voted on by the 14 Big Ten coaches as well as the media, with both parties naming Clouden to the first team for this season.

In her spectacular junior season, Clouden averaged 18.0 points per game, good enough for seventh in the Big Ten. Clouden also finished 11th in assists with 4.2 per game and 15th in steals with 1.7 per game. She helped lead the Spartans to a 13-7 overall record and an 8-7 conference record, which got them the seventh seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

Clouden is now Coach Suzy Merchant’s 46th All-Big Ten selection in her 14 seasons as the Spartans’ coach, and Michigan State has had at least two players earn All-Big Ten honors in 13 of those 14 seasons.

The honor was announced as the Michigan State women’s basketball team is in full preparation for its first game in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday. The Spartans will take on 10th-seeded Penn State at 6:30 p.m. in Indianapolis.