Big 12 Women's Basketball Announces 2020-21 Preseason Awards

POSTED: October 21, 2020 -- 2:05 p.m. CT

A Baylor trio headlined the 2020-21 Preseason All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Awards, marking just the second time in league history a team has swept the preseason individual awards. The awards and team are chosen by head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.

NaLyssa Smith was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year after helping the Lady Bears to their 10th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title. DiJonai Carrington was named the Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while Sarah Andrews was tabbed Preseason Freshman of the Year.

Smith had a breakout sophomore campaign for the Lady Bears, leading the team in scoring with 14.3 points and second on the team with 8.0 rebounds per contest. The sophomore ranked 12th nationally and first in the Big 12 with a .586 (154-of-263) field goal percentage, registering double-figure scoring in 21 games and double-figure rebounding in 12 games. Smith was named All-America Honorable Mention by the Associated Press and the Women’s Basketball Coaches' Association. Additionally, the Converse, Texas, native was named to the All-Big 12 First Team in 2020.

Carrington, a graduate transfer from Stanford, averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals as a junior for the Cardinal in 2018-19, which reached the Elite Eight. She was tabbed an All-Pac 12 selection by the coaches and media, while scoring in double-figures in 29-of-36 contests. Carrington was limited to five games in 2019-20 due to a knee injury, thus earning a medical hardship. The guard from San Diego, California, averaged 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games.

Andrews ranked as the No. 2 point guard in the nation and No. 7 player overall for the 2020 class, according to espnW's HoopGurlz. The Irving, Texas, native averaged 14.4 points and 6.0 rebounds for MacArthur High as a senior. She earned multiple All-America accolades from the Naismith Trophy, Jordan Brand and WBCA. A three-time TGCA All-State selection, Andrews was tabbed the District 6-6A MVP in 2019.

Joining Smith on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team are Queen Egbo (Baylor), DiDi Richards (Baylor), Ashley Joens (Iowa State), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State), Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma), Natasha Mack (Oklahoma State), Lauren Heard (TCU), Charli Collier (Texas) and Vivian Gray (Texas Tech). Collier, Heard, Joens, Lee, Mack and Smith were unanimous selections.

The 2020-21 season opens on Wednesday, November 25.

2020-21 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Awards (coaches not allowed to vote for own players)

Preseason Player of the Year - NaLyssa Smith, Baylor, F, 6'2", Jr., Converse, TX

Preseason Newcomer of the Year - DiJonai Carrington, Baylor, G, 5'11", Gr., San Diego, CA

Preseason Freshman of the Year - Sarah Andrews, Baylor, G, 5'6, Irving, TX

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Preseason All-Big 12 Team (honors listed alphabetical by school)

* Unanimous Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes voted first team by other nine coaches)

Honorable Mention - (listed alphabetically by school)

Kristin Scott (Iowa State), Zakiyah Franklin (Kansas), Holly Kersgieter (Kansas), Rachel Ranke (Kansas State), Ana Llanusa (Oklahoma), Madi Williams (Oklahoma), Celeste Taylor (Texas), Chrislyn Carr (Texas Tech), Kysre Gondrezick (West Virginia) and Kari Niblack (West Virginia)..

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