Baylor WBB Adds Decorated NJCAA Guard Waiata Jennings

[Pirtle, Colin]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 17, 2024

Baylor WBB Adds Decorated NJCAA Guard Waiata Jennings
Bears sign two-time NTJCAC Player of the Year
For more information contact: Colin Pirtle; 940-564-0351, colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu<mailto:colin_pirtle1 at baylor.edu>


WACO, Texas – Baylor women’s basketball head coach Nicki Collen added junior college guard Waiata Jennings to the 2024-25 squad, announced by the team on Friday.



“We are thrilled with the addition of Waiata Jennings to the Baylor family,” said Collen. “She has done nothing but produce and win since coming from New Zealand to Collin College two years ago. A dynamic lefty scorer, Waiata is a playmaker at both ends of the floor, finishing in the top-5 nationally in scoring and eighth in steals. She has the ability to score at all three levels as well as get to the free throw line effectively while being an absolute thief at the defensive end because of her anticipation skills.”



Scoring a program-record 1,227 career points in two years at Collin College, which is located in Plano, Texas, Jennings poured in 718 points in 33 games as a sophomore and also led the team in rebounds (252), blocks (32) and steals (117). She had a career day against Connors State College with 34 points, 10 rebounds and three steals.



Jennings’ 2023-24 NJCAA first-team All-American season saw her average 21.8 points per game in being named the 2024 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Two-Year College Player of the Year and North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) Player of the Year for the second-straight season, along with placements on the All-Region V and All-Conference teams.



Having a record-breaking year, Collin College went 30-3 in 2023-24 with the Lady Cougars’ first NJCAA Region V Tournament title, followed by an NJCAA tournament bid as the No. 4 seed.



Playing and starting in 31 of Collin College’s games in 2022-23, Jennings shot 41.1% from the field for 16.4 points per game, sinking 509 total points in her freshman season. Of the 31 games, she only ended in single-digit scoring once and had a season-high 26 points in a 10-of-18 effort in all 40 minutes against Waco’s own McLennan Community College.



The 2022-23 Lady Cougars women’s basketball squad became the first basketball team from Collin College to make the NJCAA national tournament with a program-leading 28-1 record.



After her introductory season in the NJCAA, Jennings pocketed the World Exposure Report Junior College Division I Freshman of the Year honor with spots on the NJCAA All-America second team, the WBCA All-America team for two-year colleges and was the NTJCAC Player of the Year.



“She is a tremendous leader and communicator and has the competitive spirit that is the cornerstone of our program,” Collen said. “Our fans will absolutely love her fierceness on the court and her contagious energy off the court.”



Jennings hails from Rotorua, New Zealand, where she attended Western Heights Primary School and St Peter's School in Cambridge.



- BaylorBears.com -

_________________________________________
Colin Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (WBB, T&F/XC, MTEN)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 940-564-0351

[signature_2230589939]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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