NaLyssa Smith Repeats as Katrina McClain Award Winner

WACO, Texas – The Naismith Hall of Fame, in association with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, named Baylor senior NaLyssa Smith the winner of the Katrina McClain Award on Sunday as part of the Hoophall Starting Five Awards.

Smith was named the nation’s top power forward after leading the Bears to their 12th-straight regular-season Big 12 title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. She became one of seven Bears to reach the 2,000-point / 1,000-rebound mark in her career.

The Converse, Texas, native also received the McClain Award last season, becoming the second person in the award’s history to repeat (Ruthy Hebard, Oregon).

Smith beat out four other finalists for the honor, including Aneesah Morrow (DePaul), Angel Reese (Maryland), Naz Hillmon (Michigan) and Cameron Brink (Stanford). 

McClain played on three USA Olympic teams, winning two gold medals, and she was a two-time NCAA National Player of the Year for the University of Georgia. She was known as a prolific rebounder and scorer throughout her career.

Smith received seven All-American honors this season, including first-team selections by Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, the Associated Press, the USBWA, the John R. Wooden Award and the WBCA. She earned a second-team nod from the Senior CLASS Award.

The Converse, Texas, native averaged 22.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game during the regular season. Her 25 double-doubles this year set a single-season Baylor record and was good for third in the country.

The McClain Award is in its fifth season with past winners including Ruthy Hebard of Oregon, a two-time winner, and UConn's Napheesa Collier.