Don't make Ava Heiden angry, you wouldn't like her when she's angry.
Ashley Sofilkanich and the Michigan Wolverines found out the hard way that you cannot make Heiden angry, because if you do, she is liable to go off.
Heiden dominated the Wolverines down low, notching her third straight double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
After notching a double-double in every game last week, it was an easy decision for the Naismith committee to give Heiden a much-deserved player of the week nomination.
Heiden was named the Naismith National Player of the Week
The Hawkeyes go as Heiden goes, and with the player of the week honors starting to pile up, the sophomore center is showcasing her abilities on a national scale.
Guess who?! 😏@ava_heiden is the Naismith Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/0JNW6Z2T2h
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 23, 2026
Iowa is currently on a four-game winning streak after losing three in a row, and Heiden is a big reason for their success.
Over Iowa's past three games, Heiden averaged 20.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, shooting 76.7 percent from the field.
Heiden was recently added to the Naismith Player of the Year Late Season Team, and she is proving why she belongs among the elites in women's college basketball.
Heiden is averaging career-highs across the board, including points (17.3), rebounds (7.3), and field goal percentage (64.4 percent) per game.
The sophomore center is playing the best basketball of her young career and is propelling the Hawkeyes towards the postseason.
The Hawkeyes were the biggest risers in this week's AP Top 25 poll, moving up four spots from No. 13 to No. 9, and Heiden is at the center of it (pun intended).