2022-23 Player Review: Maud Huijbens

After missing most of this season with a concussion, Maud Huijbens will be looking to bounce back next year with a backup role for the Gonzaga Bulldogs front court.

Huijbens was always going to be behind Yvonne Ejim and Eliza Hollingsworth on the depth chart, but after suffering a concussion in late November, much of the growth of the season was put on hold.

She would go on to miss almost three months of the season, ultimately appearing in just 13 games and averaging 16.6 minutes per appearance. While on the court, Huijbens displayed an aggressive game and a relentless attitude of crashing the offensive glass.

This latter point is something to build off of, however. Huijbens 1.6 offensive rebounds per game are third behind Ejim and Hollingsworth, but second-highest on the team in terms of offensive rebounding percentage. The Zags owned the 21st-highest OR% in the country this season, and those second-chance points are a key driving force for the offense.

With both Ejim and Hollingsworth on the roster ahead of her for their senior seasons, we can expect to see more of the same next year. Although it would not be surprising to see Lisa Fortier rely lessen the minutes of the two to help spread the wealth.

The women’s program has often been more so about waiting your turn. Huijbens established herself as an aggressive option in the post, and for the time being, that will be her path forward as she tries to carve out more minutes in the rotation.