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<h1 align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Oct. 6, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">WBB Boasts Several Preseason Honors<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
<h2 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Smith, Lewis recognized in preseason announcement</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Krista Pirtle, 254-447-8610,
</span><a href="mailto:Krista_Pirtle@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Krista_Pirtle@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">
</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> The Baylor women’s basketball team received a pair of annual Preseason All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball Awards
and landed two on the 2021-22 Preseason Team, the conference announced on Wednesday. The conference’s coaches recognized senior NaLyssa Smith as the Player of the Year and graduate transfer Jordan Lewis as the Newcomer of the Year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Joining Smith on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team was Queen Egbo, while Lewis and junior Ja’Mee Asberry were honorable mention selections.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Smith’s selection as Preseason Player of the Year marked the seventh-straight season that a Baylor Bear earned the honor, and she is the 12<sup>th</sup> player in school
history to receive the accolade. The senior forward had one of the most decorated single-season performances in Baylor women’s basketball history a year ago as she earned the WBCA’s National Player of the Year award by taking home the Wade Trophy. Additionally,
Smith was named an All-American by five different entities, including four first-team selections (AP, WBCA, Wooden, ESPN.com).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year averaged a team-best 18.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game to go with a 56.1 field-goal percentage on the season in 2020-21.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Lewis, a graduate transfer from Alabama, becomes the third-straight Baylor player (Te’a Cooper and DiJonai Carrington) to earn the Preseason Newcomer of the Year Award,
and she is the eighth player in program history to be named. The Windermere, Fla., native put up career numbers in her senior season at Alabama, averaging a career-best 17.0 points and 4.2 assists per game as she shot 39.0 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent
from the perimeter. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Egbo was named a WBCA/Naismith Lisa Leslie Award Final Five member for the nation’s top center a year ago as she averaged career-bests in points (11.1), rebounds (8.6)
and blocks per game (1.9). The Houston native moved to ninth all-time on Baylor’s career list for blocks with 56 as a junior, bringing her total to 120 in three seasons.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Asberry transferred from Oklahoma State, where she was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team after she averaged a career-best 17.0 points per game. The Tulsa, Okla., native
shot .419 percent from behind the arc, ranking second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage and 3-pointers made.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Baylor finished the 2020-21 season 28-3, and the Bears won their 11<sup>th</sup>-straight Big 12 regular-season championship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">2021-22 BIG 12 CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON AWARDS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">(coaches not allowed to vote for own players)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Preseason Player of the Year</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor, F, 6-2, Sr., Converse, Texas<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Preseason Newcomer of the Year</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
Jordan Lewis, Baylor, G, 5-7, Gr., Windermere, Fla.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Preseason Freshman of the Year</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
Aaliyah Moore, Texas, F, 6-1, Fr., Moore, Okla.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Preseason All-Big 12 Team</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
*NaLyssa Smith, Baylor, F, 6-2, Sr., Converse, Texas<br>
*Ashley Joens, Iowa State, G/F, 6-0 Sr., Iowa City, Iowa<br>
*Ayoka Lee, K-State, C, 6-6, Jr., Byron, Minn.<br>
*Madi Williams, Oklahoma, G/F, 5-11, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas<br>
*Lauren Heard, TCU, G, 5-9, Gr., Denton, Texas<br>
*Vivian Gray, Texas Tech, G, 6-1, Sr., Argyle, Texas<br>
*Esmery Martinez, West Virginia, F, 6-2, Jr., Hato Mayor Del Rey, Dominican Republic<br>
Queen Egbo, Baylor, C, 6-3, Sr., Houston, Texas<br>
Joanne Allen Taylor, Texas, G, 5-8, Jr., Houston, Texas<br>
Lexi Donarski, Iowa State, G, 6-0, So., LaCrosse, Wis.<br>
Holly Kersgieter, Kansas, G, 5-10, Jr., Sand Springs, Okla.<br>
Taylor Robertson, Oklahoma, G, 5-11, Sr., McPherson, Kan.<br>
*<i>Denotes unanimous selection</i><br>
<i>A tie for the 10th spot resulted in 12 selections</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
Ja'Mee Asberry (Baylor), Jordan Lewis (Baylor), Emily Ryan (Iowa State), Taylen Collins (Oklahoma State), Rori Harmon (Texas), KK Deans (West Virginia), Kari Niblack (West Virginia)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">www.BaylorBears.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#0A5026">Krista Pirtle</span></b><span style="color:#0A5026"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">| Associate Director of Athletics Communications</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3065 | C: 254-447-8610</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:3.0pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.baylorbears.com/" title="http://www.baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="159" height="44" style="width:1.6562in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7BABB.A318A130" alt="signature_1415018582"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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