ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Illinois State transfer forward Hannah Chicken has been named the Newcomer of the Week by the Missouri Valley Conference, as announced by the league on Monday.
Chicken, a sophomore transfer from Portland State, was named a weekly award winner alongside UIC's Julia Coleman (Player of the Week) and Belmont's Chelby Jordan (Freshman of the Week) following the first week of women's basketball action in 2026-27.
Chicken made an immediate impact in her first three games with the Redbirds, averaging a double-double of 16.0 points and 10.3 rebounds while helping lead Illinois State to an undefeated 3-0 start. She recorded double-doubles in each of the final two contests of the week, posting 19 points and 13 rebounds in a 91-87 road victory at Dayton before following with 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 96-54 win over Augustana. Chicken shot 51.4 percent from the field for the week, totaling 48 points, 31 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks.
Her 31 rebounds through three games lead the MVC, and she was the only league player to average a double-double through the opening week of the season. Chicken's consistent production on both ends of the floor was instrumental in the Redbirds' hot start to the season. ISU is off to its best start since the 2022-23 campaign and is averaging a league-high 98.5 points per game heading into the second week of season - the 11th-highest average in Division I.
Illinois State will host Green Bay (1-1) at CEFCU Arena on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT in an early non-conference test. Green Bay posted a 25-9 record last season and won the Horizon League championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament against No. 4 Minnesota.
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