Big 12 Announces All-Conference Women’s Basketball Teams
The 2023 All-Conference Women’s basketball teams were officially released Monday afternoon, providing some long-awaited answers as to who would be the headliners for the Big 12 Conference.
The title of Big 12 Player of the Year went to standout Iowa State Cyclones guard Ashley Joens. She made First-Team All-Conference team alongside Baylor’s Sarah Andrews, a pair of Kansas Jayhawks in Zakiyah Franklin and Taiyanna Jackson, Gabby Gregory from Kansas State, Oklahoma’s Madi Williams, Oklahoma State’s Naomie Alnatas, Texas’ DeYona Gaston and Rori Harmon, Texas Tech’s Bre’Amber Scott, and West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly.
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer was named Coach of the Year. Schaefer led the Longhorns to an overall record of 23-8 and a conference record of 14-4, earning a split share of the Big 12 title alongside the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Longhorns continued to stake their claim to yearly awards with guard Rori Harmon being awarded the title of Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as teammate Shaylee Gonzales earning Newcomer of the Year honors. The last two superlative titles were awarded to Baylor guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who was the unanimous Freshman of the Year, and Oklahoma’s Skylar Vann, who won her second straight Sixth Player of the Year award.
All-Big 12 Second Team honors were awarded to Gonzalez, Baylor’s Caitlin Bickle, Iowa State’s Emily Ryan, Oklahoma’s duo of Ana Llanusa and Taylor Robertson.
Honorable mentions included Littlepage-Buggs, Vann, Lexi Donarski from Iowa State, Holly Kersgieter from Kansas, Serena Sundell from Kansas State, Bryn Gerlich from Texas Tech and Madisen Smith from West Virginia.
The two final teams were the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
The Big 12 All-Defensive Team included Bickle, Jackson, Harmon, Donarski and Quinerly.
The Big 12 All-Freshman Team had six selections due to a tie in votes, headlined by Littlepage-Buggs. The rest of the team included Baylor’s Bella Fontelroy, Iowa State’s Denae Fritz, Oklahoma’s Beatrice Culliton, Texas’ Amina Muhammad, and Texas Tech’s Bailey Maupin.
The breakdown of players by team is below (not including honorable mention):
Baylor: 4, (Darianna Littlepaige-Buggs, Sarah Andrews, Caitlyn Bickle, and Bella Fontleroy).
Iowa State: 3, (Ashley Joens, Emily Ryan, and Lexi Donarski).
Kansas: 2, (Zakiyah Franklin, and Taiyanna Jackson).
Kansas State: 1, (Gabby Gregory).
Oklahoma: 4, (Madi Williams, Ana Llanusa, Skylar Vann, and Beatrice Culliton).
Oklahoma State: 1, (Naomie Alnatas).
Texas: 4, (Rori Harmon, Shaylee Gonzales, DeYona Gaston, and Amina Muhammad).
Texas Tech: 2, (Bre’Amber Scott, and Bailey Maupin)
West Virginia: 1, (JJ Quinerly).
