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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 – Jan. 5, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></b></h1>
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<h1 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-decoration:none">WBB’s Smith Named to Wooden Award Midseason Watch List<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">Senior forward recognized on National Player of the Year Watch List</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>
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<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">LOS ANGELES –</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith advanced to the Midseason Top 25 Watch List for the John R. Wooden Award Presented by
Wendy’s. Smith was on the preseason watch list and leads the Bears in scoring and rebounds at 20.4 and 12.6, respectively.<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 Converse, Texas, native leads the nation with 11 double-doubles this season. She’s also top 10 in the country in defensive rebounds per game (3<sup>rd</sup>, 8.9),
field goals made (6<sup>th</sup>, 102), final points (9<sup>th</sup>, 265), rebounds (4<sup>th</sup>, 164) and rebounds per game (4<sup>th</sup>, 12.6).
<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 put up 30 points at Maryland and nearly had a 20-20 performance with 21 points and a career-best 19 rebounds against Houston.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">This marks the third-straight year that Smith reached the Midseason Watch List team for the John R. Wooden Award. The Los Angeles Athletic Club puts on the honor, and
it is given to college basketball’s most outstanding player. Players that did not make the Midseason Watch List team can still make their way on to the late-season list based on performance.<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 joined five other Bears (Brittney Griner, Odyssey Sims, Nina Davis, Niya Johnson and Lauren Cox) last season when she landed on the Wooden Award All-American team.
Griner won the award in back-to-back seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13.<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;color:black;background:white">For the latest news on the Baylor women's basketball team all season long, follow their official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts:
@BaylorWBB.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><u><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">2021-22 Midseason Top 25<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Shakira Austin Mississippi Sr. C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Kierstan Bell FGCU Jr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Aliyah Boston* S. Carolina Jr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Cameron Brink Stanford So. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Paige Bueckers** UConn So. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Caitlin Clark Iowa So. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Zia Cooke S. Carolina Jr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Lorela Cubaj Georgia Tech Sr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Elissa Cunane NC State Sr. C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Destanni Henderson S. Carolina Sr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Naz Hillmon Michigan Sr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Mackenzie Holmes Indiana Jr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Rhyne Howard* Kentucky Sr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Rickea Jackson Miss. State Jr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Ashley Joens Iowa State Sr. G/F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Haley Jones Stanford Jr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Elizabeth Kitley Virginia Tech Jr. C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Ayoka Lee Kansas State Jr. C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Aneesah Morrow DePaul Fr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Charisma Osborne UCLA Jr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Ashley Owusu Maryland Jr. G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Angel Reese Maryland So. F/G<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">NaLyssa Smith* Baylor Sr. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Jenna Staiti Georgia Sr. C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">Maddy Westbeld Notre Dame So. F<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">* Indicates player selected as 2020-21 Wooden Award All American<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white">** Indicates player selected as 2020-21 Wooden Award Winner<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:black;background:white"><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="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></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">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@01D8025E.8DC72690" alt="signature_1415018582"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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