<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Impact;
panose-1:2 11 8 6 3 9 2 5 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
h1
{mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:justify;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
text-decoration:underline;}
h2
{mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:center;
page-break-after:avoid;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:italic;}
p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText
{mso-style-link:"Body Text Char";
margin:0in;
text-align:justify;
layout-grid-mode:char;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;
font-style:italic;}
span.BodyTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Body Text Char";
mso-style-link:"Body Text";
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<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 – March 24, 2022<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">Baylor WBB’s Smith Named Wade Trophy Finalist<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">Reigning Wade Trophy winner in contention to repeat</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"> Baylor senior NaLyssa Smith was named as a finalist for another Player of the Year award as the Wade Trophy
announced the final four players up for consideration on Thursday. <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">Smith, the reigning Wade Trophy winner was joined by Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Caitlin Clark (Iowa) and Rhyne Howard (Kentucky).<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 6-foot-4 forward has already been named a first-team All-American by
<i>Sports Illustrated</i>, <i>The Athletic</i>, the Associated Press and the USBWA. Smith was also named a WBCA All-America Region 3 finalist.<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">This season marks the 45<sup>th</sup> that the Wade Trophy will be handed out to the nation’s top player in women’s college basketball. It was named after the late Delta
State head coach, Lily Margaret Wade, who won three-straight national championships.
<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 has had four Wade Trophy winners in its history with Brittney Griner taking home honors in 2012 and 2013, Odyssey Sims in 2014 and Smith in 2021. Thursday’s announcement
marks the third-straight year Baylor has had a finalist after Lauren Cox was in the final four in 2020 and Smith in 2021.<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">She led Baylor to its 13<sup>th</sup> Big 12 regular-season title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Smith recently became one of seven Bears to reach the 2,000-point
/ 1,000-rebound mark in her career. <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 averaged 22.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game during the regular season. Her 25 double-doubles this year set a
single-season Baylor record and was good for third in the country.<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 is also in the running for two other national player of the year awards, including the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.<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">For the latest news on the Baylor women’s basketball team all season long, follow its 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"><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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<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@01D83F66.A3C8F5A0" alt="signature_1415018582"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>