Baylor WBB’s Smith Placed on McClain Award Watch List

[Pirtle, Krista]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Oct. 28, 2021

WBB’s Smith Placed on McClain Award Watch List
Senior forward received the Katrina McClain Award last season
For more information contact: Krista Pirtle, 254-447-8610, Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu<mailto:Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu>


Springfield, Mass. – Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith was named to the Preseason Watch List for the Naismith Hall of Fame and WBCA’s Katrina McClain Award on Thursday. The honor is awarded to the top power forward in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.



Smith received the award last season after leading the 28-3 Baylor women’s basketball team to Big 12 Championships in the regular season and tournament, while helping the Bears to their 10th NCAA Elite Eight appearance.



The award’s namesake was a three-time Olympian for USA Basketball and a two-time WBCA Player of the Year at Georgia. Since the McClain Award’s inception, Baylor has had a player reach the Final Five each season, with Lauren Cox being a finalist the first three seasons and Smith last season.



Smith has been named a Preseason All-American by The Athletic and the Associated Press. The senior was also named the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year.



Smith had one of the most decorated single-season performances in Baylor women's basketball history a year ago. She was named an All-American by five different entities, including four first-team selections (AP, WBCA, Wooden, ESPN.com) and one second-team selection (WSBWA). Smith earned the WBCA's National Player of the Year award by taking home the Wade Trophy in addition to receiving the Collegiate Women's Sports Awards Honda Sport Award for women's basketball.

On the court, Smith averaged a team-best 18.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game en route to being named the Big 12's Player of the Year. Smith shot a team-best 56.1 percent from the floor and finished in the top 25 in the NCAA in six offensive categories.



Fans are encouraged to participate in fan voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five.



2022 Katrina McClain Award Candidates*

NaLyssa Smith

Baylor

Lauren Gustin

BYU

Lorela Cubaj

Georgia Tech

Maddi Utti

Long Beach St.

Olivia Cochran

Louisville

Naz Hillmon

Michigan

Sam Brunelle

Notre Dame

Nyara Sabally

Oregon

Taylor Jones

Oregon St.

Sania Feagin

South Carolina

Cameron Brink

Stanford

Alexus Dye

Tennessee

Dorka Juhasz

UConn

Aaliyah Edwards

UConn

Alissa Pili

USC

Bethy Mununga

USF

Maddy Siegrist

Villanova

Kari Niblack

West Virginia

Esmery Martinez

West Virginia

Raneem Elgedawy

Western Kentucky



*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2021-22 season



www.BaylorBears.com


Krista Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3065 | C: 254-447-8610

[signature_1415018582]<http://www.baylorbears.com/>

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