Baylor Bears

NaLyssa Smith Only Big 12 Player On McClain Award Watch List

By Matthew Postins

Posted on February 10, 2022

NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma State at Texas Tech

Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith is the only Big 12 player selected to the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award late-season watch list released on Thursday.

Smith is the reigning McClain Award and Wade Trophy winner, the latter of which is given to the national player of the year. Smith is on the Wade watch list, along with the watch lists for the Naismith National Player of the Year award and the Wooden Award, another national player of the year award.

Smith is coming off a 22-point, seven-rebound game against Kansas State. She leads the Big 12 with 15 double-doubles, is ninth in the country with a 20.9 points per game scoring average and averages 11.2 rebounds, putting her in the Top 20 in that category. She is one of three players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and one assist per game.

Smith has 1,756 career points and hopes to clear 1,000 career rebounds by season’s end. She currently has 952 rebounds.

The award is named for McClain, who was a two-time Kodak All-American and the WBCA National Player of the Year her senior season at Georgia. The two-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year finished her international career with two Olympic gold medals and one bronze, three FIBA World Championships medals, and five medals at the Goodwill Games, Pan Am Games, and World University Games.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.