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Baylor Women's Basketball

Baylor WBB Trio Named to Preseason Watch Lists

November 17, 2020
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WACO, Texas – Baylor junior forward NaLyssa Smith was named to both the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy Award preseason watch lists for national player of the year, while senior DiDi Richards and graduate transfer DiJonai Carrington were recognized by Naismith’s watch list.

Smith, the AP Preseason Honorable Mention All-American and Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, was named to both the Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy watch lists that included 50 and 33 players, respectively.

Smith averaged 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in her sophomore season in 2019-20. She was an honorable mention All-America selection by the Associated Press and the WBCA last year. An All-Big 12 First-Team selection last season, Smith had a Big 12-leading 58.6 field-goal percentage, which also ranked 12th in the nation.

The Wade Trophy is in its 44th year and is the oldest national player of the year award in women’s college basketball. The honor is named after former Delta State head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three-consecutive national titles. The Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001.

Baylor has had a player win the Wade Trophy Award three times, all in consecutive seasons when Brittney Griner won in 2012 and 2013, and Odyssey Sims won the honor in 2014.

The Atlanta Tipoff Club awards the Naismith Awards and first gave out the Naismith Trophy to a women’s player in 1983. Griner also took home the Naismith Trophy twice for the Lady Bears in 2012 and 2013.

A senior from Cypress, Richards was the National Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20, collecting the honor from both the WBCA and Naismith. She was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big 12 Second Team selection. Richards averaged career bests in points (8.2), rebounds (4.9), and steals (1.7) per game while shooting a team-best 77.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Carrington hails from San Diego, Calif. and played three-plus seasons at Stanford. Even after an injury-shortened season in 2019-20, the Big 12 coaches named her the 2020-21 Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.

Her junior season in 2018-19 likely earned her the honor as she helped the Cardinal to an NCAA Elite 8 appearance and was named All-Pac 12 after averaging 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per contest.

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Baylor WBB Trio Named to Preseason Watch Lists

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