SicEm365 All-Decade Team: Brittney Griner changed the game for Baylor - and women's hoops

*Over the next several weeks, SicEm365.com will publish all-decade teams for most Baylor sports. The series continues today with our all-decade Lady Bear squad.

FIRST TEAM

Brittney Griner - 6-8 Center; 2009-2012; Houston Nimitz

Griner was the Big 12 Player of the Year 2011, 2012 and 2013. In her 148 starts, she scored 3283 points, blocked 748 shots, put up 63 double doubles, and had five triple-doubles. The two-time National Player of the Year may be most dominant player in the game’s history. She is now a WNBA All-Star for the Phoenix Mercury.

Lauren Cox - 6-4 Power Forward; 2017-2020; Flower Mound

Cox was a complete player on both ends of the court and an underrated passer. Just ask frontcourt mate Kalani Brown, the recipient of some beautiful feeds from Cox for three straight seasons. Cox—who led Baylor to the 2019 NCAA title, averaged 12 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and swatted 301 shots in a career that ended prematurely because of Covid-19. 

Nina Davis - 5-11 Small Forward; 2013-16; Memphis Cental HS

This vote was tight, but the 2015 Big 12 Player of the Year was the call. Davis was first-team All-Big 12 her final three seasons. She averaged 16.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while also playing undersized at power forward when needed. Davis found a way to put the ball in the basket.

Kristy Wallace - 5-11 Shooting Guard; 2014-2017; Loganholme, Queensland, AU

The Australia native exploded her senior season, scoring 12.9 points and hitting over 50% of her shots from the floor. Unforturnately, Wallace tore her ACL in the final home game of her career on a team poised to go deep in the NCAA tournament. Wallace hit 38.3% of her three point shot attempts during her career while being the consumate glue player. In her career she averaged 9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

Odyssey Sims - 5-10 Point Guard; 2010-2013, Irving MacArthur

Sims wasted no time making an impact on the Lady Bears’ program, as she was named National Freshman of the Year. Sims finished her career as the leader in assists (572) and three-point field goals made (223). She guided the 2012 National Championship team by averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals per game. She averaged 17.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.3 steals in her career. Sims is expecting her first child while sitting out the 2020 season for the Minnesota Lynx.

SECOND TEAM

Kalani Brown - 6-7 Center; 2015-2018; Slidell, LA

If not for possibly the greatest center in the game being a Lady Bear, Brown would receive first-team recognition after averaging 15 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 assists over her All-American career.

Brooklyn Pope - 6-3 Power Forward, 2009-2012; FW Dunbar

Pope averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds her senior year and was an integral part of the dominant 40-0 National Championship squad.

DiDi Richards - 6-2 Small Forward; 2017-Current; Cypress Ranch

With one year left to play, Richards’ dominance on defense and increasing offensive presence places her on the second team. Richards currently averages 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals a game.

Jordan Madden - 5-11 Shooting Guard; 2009-2012; Lepanto, AR

Madden averaged 7.7 points and 4 rebounds her senior year, but her domination was on the defensive end in Kim Mulkey’s attacking defense.

Niya Johnson - 5-9 Point Guard; 2012-2015; Gainesville, FL

The Big 12 career assists leader with 988 also ranks fifth in NCAA history. She rarely turned the ball over during her career. Johnson played in every game but one during her career and was the only freshman to play in 2012.

THIRD TEAM

Sune Agbuke, 6-4 Center - 2011-2014; San Antonio Cornerstone Christian

In her final season, Sune averaged 6.5 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Khadijiah “K.K.” Cave - 6-3 Power Forward; 2013-2016; Augusta, GA

Cave provided a spark off the bench with 7.4 points and 4.5 blocks over her career.

NaLyssa Smith - 6-2 Small Forward; 2018-Current; East Central San Antonio HS

Smith could move up this list if her career continues in the upward trend from her first two seasons. Her career averages are 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds while only starting 28 of the 66 games she’s played.

Makenzie Robertson - 5-9 Shooting Guard; 2010-2013; Midway

Robertson had to earn time on the court from her coach and mother, but once she did she wasn’t coming off of it. Robertson left her mark on the program and continues to do so as a current coach on the staff.

Chloe Jackson - 5-9 Point Guard; 2019; Upper Malboro, MD

Jackson led the 2019 team to its third NCAA tite in her only season, averaging 11.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 steals.

PLAYER OF THE DECADE

Who else could it be but Brittney Griner. 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE

Griner collected over double the blocked shots of the next Lady Bear on the career list, but Odyssey Sims is our choice with her tenacity out front, disrupting offenses who then ran into the road block of Griner at the rim. 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE

Griner is the easy pick and ours, but the offensive games of Kalani Brown and Odyssey Sims cannot be ignored.

THREE POINT SHOOTER OF THE DECADE

Juicy Landrum hit 14 threes in a game and shot over 40% in her career.

LOCKDOWN DEFENDER

DiDi Richards has turned defense into an art form over her first three years.