Baylor WBB’s Smith Named WBCA National Player of the Year

[Robarts, Kyle]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 3, 2021

Baylor WBB’s Smith Named WBCA National Player of the Year
Smith takes home Wade Trophy, Named 1st Team All-American, Richards Honorable Mention
For more information contact: Kyle Robarts, 254-405-9492, Kyle_Robarts at baylor.edu<mailto:Kyle_Robarts at baylor.edu>

Smith head shot: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5xfe1iu1x9f4tp/BU_WBB_Smith_NaLyssa_20-21.JPG?dl=0
Richards head shot: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ve65a3ms8np3r4e/BU_WBB_Richards_DiDI_20-21.JPG?dl=0

WACO, Texas – Baylor junior power forward NaLyssa Smith became the third Lady Bear to bring home the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Wade Trophy for the nation’s top women’s college basketball player, Saturday.

In addition, Smith was named a First-Team All-American by the WBCA while senior DiDi Richards was an honorable mention All-America selection.

Smith joined Brittney Griner (2012, 2013) and Odyssey Sims (2014) as Baylor’s Wade Trophy winners. The Wade Trophy originated in 1978 and was named after Lily Margaret Wade, a three-time national championship coach of Delta State. The Wade Trophy was the first national player of the year award for women’s college basketball.

Smith joins elite company with previous winners, including names like Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Jackie Stiles, Rebecca Lobo, Cheryl Miller and Nancy Lieberman along with Griner and Sims.

The All-America nod was the fourth of the season for Smith. She was a first-team selection by both the Associated Press and ESPN.com, along with a second-team selection from the USBWA. Richards added her second honorable mention All-America selection of the season after being named to the same honor by the USBWA Friday.

Smith was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, the Most Outstanding Player of the Big 12 Championship and was an NCAA Riverwalk Region All-Tournament selection after Baylor’s exit in the Elite 8.

Smith averaged 18.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the charity stripe. She added 38 steals on defense to go with 26 blocks for the 28-3 Lady Bears.

Smith is still in the running for two additional national player of the year awards with the Naismith Trophy and the John R. Wooden Award yet to be announced.

Richards finished her Baylor career at third all-time on the school’s career list for assists with 568 with her first three seasons at the wing position. She was a Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist for nation’s top point guard in her first season at the position. Last season as a junior, she swept National Defensive Player of the Year awards from Naismith and the WBCA.

Richards was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third-straight year in 2021, and she was a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, a season after winning the award. She ranked in the NCAA Top 10 in assists per game for the second-straight year (6.8) and Top 25 in assist-to-turnover ratio for the second-straight season (2.55:1) as well.

Both players led Baylor to its 12th Big 12 Regular Season Championship, the 11th Big 12 Tournament Championship and the program’s 10th NCAA Elite 8 appearance.

Here are the 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-Americans:

Player
Institution
Class
Guard
Aliyah Boston
University of South Carolina
Sophomore
Forward
Paige Bueckers
University of Connecticut
Freshman
Guard
Caitlin Clark
University of Iowa
Freshman
Guard
Chelsea Dungee
University of Arkansas
Redshirt Senior
Guard
Dana Evans
University of Louisville
Senior
Guard
Naz Hillmon
University of Michigan
Junior
Forward
Rhyne Howard
University of Kentucky
Junior
Guard
Aari McDonald
University of Arizona
Senior
Guard
NaLyssa Smith
Baylor University
Junior
Forward
Kiana Williams
Stanford University
Senior
Guard


WBCA Honorable Mention All-Americans:
Player
Institution

Shakira Austin
University of Mississippi

Janelle Bailey
University of North Carolina

Kierstan Bell
Florida Gulf Coast University

Grace Berger
Indiana University

Charli Collier
University of Texas

Zia Cooke
University of South Carolina

Lorela Cubaj
Georgia Institute of Technology

Elissa Cunane
North Carolina State University

Rennia Davis
University of Tennessee

Anna DeWolfe
Fordham University

Kysre Gondrezick
West Virginia University

Aleah Goodman
Oregon State University
Vivian Gray
Texas Tech University

Arella Guirantes
Rutgers University

Anastasia Hayes
Middle Tennessee State University

Mya Hollingshed
University of Colorado
Rickea Jackson
Mississippi State University

Ashley Joens
Iowa State University

Morgan Jones
Florida State University

N'dea Jones
Texas A&M University

Micaela Kelly
Central Michigan University

Lotta-Maj Lahtinen
Georgia Institute of Technology

Ayoka Lee
Kansas State University

Charlisse Leger-Walker
Washington State University
Selena Lott
Marquette University

Natasha Mack
Oklahoma State University

Tiana Mangakahia
Syracuse University

Diamond Miller
University of Maryland

Que Morrison
University of Georgia

Olivia Nelson-Ododa
University of Connecticut

Michaela Onyenwere
University of California, Los Angeles
Charisma Osborne
University of California, Los Angeles
Ashley Owusu
University of Maryland

DiDi Richards
Baylor University

Myah Selland
South Dakota State University
Destiny Slocum
University of Arkansas

Jenna Staiti
University of Georgia

IImar'I Thomas
University of Cincinnati

Unique Thompson
Auburn University

Jasmine Walker
University of Alabama

Maddy Westbeld
University of Notre Dame

Christyn Williams
University of Connecticut

www.BaylorBears.com


___________________________________
Kyle Robarts | Associate Director, Athletics Communications (WBB, WTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3042 | C: 254-405-9492

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