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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a name="OLE_LINK11"></a><a name="OLE_LINK12"></a><a name="OLE_LINK23"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR
ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – </span></b></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">March 4, 2021</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><a name="OLE_LINK9"></a><a name="OLE_LINK10"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Smith
Named to McClain Award ‘Final Five’ for Baylor WBB</span></b></span></a></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK10"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9"><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></span></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK9"></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK10"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Junior Lady Bear in contention for nation’s top power forward award</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Kyle
Robarts, 254-405-9492, </span></span></span><a href="mailto:Kyle_Robarts@baylor.edu"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#954F72">Kyle_Robarts@baylor.edu</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Smith head shot</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">:
</span></span></span><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5xfe1iu1x9f4tp/BU_WBB_Smith_NaLyssa_20-21.JPG?dl=0"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">https://www.dropbox.com/s/q5xfe1iu1x9f4tp/BU_WBB_Smith_NaLyssa_20-21.JPG?dl=0</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"></span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">WACO, Texas – </span></strong></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Baylor
junior power forward NaLyssa Smith earned a spot on the Naismith/WBCA Katrina McClain Award ‘Final Five’ list, Thursday. The McClain Award, in its fourth year, recognizes the top power forward in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Smith has started all 22 games for the No. 6-ranked Baylor Lady Bears
at power forward and leads the team in a myriad of offensive categories. Her team-leading 18.1 points per contest ranks 9<sup>th</sup> in the Big 12 while her 9.3 rebounds a game is fourth in the league. She leads Baylor in both field goal percentage (.535,
2<sup>nd</sup> in Big 12) and free-throw percentage (.817, 5<sup>th</sup> in Big 12).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The junior from Converse, Texas has 20-straight games with double-figure
points to go along with nine double-doubles on the season. Her 3.32 offensive rebounds per contest ranks third in the Big 12, and she surpassed the 1,000-career points mark vs. Texas, Feb. 14. She ranks fifth all-time on Baylor’s career list for field-goal
percentage at a .552 clip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Smith’s junior season is proving to live up to the hype that saw her
earn Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year honors along with an honorable mention All-America nod from the
<i>Associated Press. </i>She is on the short, 11-person list, for the Naismith Trophy Award for nation’s top player, and she’s still in contention for two other national player of the year honors in the Wade Trophy and the John Wooden Award.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Thursday’s announcement marks the fourth-straight year that Baylor has
had a ‘Final Five’ selection for the McClain Award after Lauren Cox achieved that status three straight seasons beginning in 2017-18.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Fans can contribute to Smith’s chances of winning March 5-19, by voting
for their selections of the Naismith WBCA/Starting Five Awards. The voters will have a chance to vote for their favorite candidates of the Lieberman, Drysdale, Miller, McClain and Leslie Awards for point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward
and center, respectively. Baylor’s DiDi Richards is a ‘Final Five’ selection for the Lieberman Award as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The winners of the Starting Five are generally announced the week of
the NCAA Final Four, however, with COVID-19, the dates and times have not been set for the recognition of the winners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK12"><span style="mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK11"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">www.BaylorBears.com</span></span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black">___________________________________</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#006132">Kyle Robarts</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#006132"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Associate Director, Athletics Communications (WBB, WTEN)</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3042 | C: 254-405-9492</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:4.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D710D3.91CACD50"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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