Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith was selected the unanimous Big 12 Player of the Year, earning the award for the second consecutive year, and Brandon Schneider became the first Big 12 Coach of the Year from Kansas since 1997 in the 2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 women’s basketball awards, chosen by the head coaches.
Lexi Donarski (Iowa State) was tabbed the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Jordan Lewis (Baylor) was picked as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Freshman of the Year honors went to Rori Harmon (Texas), while Skylar Vann (Oklahoma) won the Sixth Player Award.
The All-Big 12 First Team features Smith, Ashley Joens (Iowa State), Ayoka Lee (Kansas State), Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma) and Madi Williams (Oklahoma) as unanimous selections. Donarski, Vivian Gray (Texas Tech), Holly Kersgieter (Kansas), Lewis, Emily Ryan (Iowa State) complete the first team.
Smith becomes the first player to win back-to-back Player of the Year honors in the Big 12 since Brittney Griner’s three straight selections from 2011-13. Courtney Paris (Oklahoma, 2007-09), Nicole Ohlde (Kansas State, 2003-04) and Stacey Dales (Oklahoma, 2001-02) are the only other Big 12 players to accomplish the feat. Smith averaged a Conference-best 23.1 points and 10.7 rebounds in league games.
Donarski, who was Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2021, is the first Iowa State player to win Defensive Player of the Year since the award’s inception in 2006. She averages 35.4 minutes per game, which ranks second in the Big 12, and adds 14.3 points per game to her league-best defense.
Lewis, an Alabama transfer, averages 11.8 points and 5.3 assists with a 2.32 assist-to-turnover ratio. She set the NCAA career record with 160 games played. This marks the third consecutive season a Baylor player has won or shared the Newcomer of the Year award, after DiJonai Carrington won the award in 2021 and Te’a Cooper shared honors in 2020.
Harmon averages 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, all of which rank in the league’s top-20. She is the first Texas freshman since 2017 to earn top-billing from the Big 12.
Vann became the fourth Sooner to be named the Big 12’s top reserve, averaging 12.0 points in 28 appearances off the bench. She is the only player from an Autonomy 5 conference to average at least 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in at least 20 games off the bench.
Schneider led Kansas to the program’s first 20-win season since 2013, and a fifth-place finish in the Big 12. The finish was the best for a team voted last in the Preseason Big 12 Poll, and marks KU’s best seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship since 2000.
The All-Big 12 honors were chosen by head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
| 2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Awards |
| Coach of the Year |
Brandon Schneider, Kansas |
| Player of the Year |
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Lexi Donarski, Iowa State |
| Newcomer of the Year |
Jordan Lewis, Baylor |
| Freshman of the Year |
Rori Harmon, Texas |
| Sixth Player Award |
Skylar Vann, Oklahoma |
| 2022 All-Big 12 First Team |
| Name, School (Times selected) |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Jordan Lewis, Baylor |
G |
5-7 |
Gr. |
Windermere, Fla. |
| NaLyssa Smith, Baylor* (3) |
F |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Converse, Texas |
| Lexi Donarski, Iowa State |
G |
6-0 |
So. |
La Crosse, Wisc. |
| Ashley Joens, Iowa State* (3) |
G/F |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Iowa City, Iowa |
| Emily Ryan, Iowa State |
G |
5-11 |
So. |
Claflin, Kansas |
| Holly Kersgieter, Kansas |
G |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Sand Springs, Okla. |
| Ayoka Lee, Kansas State* (3) |
C |
6-6 |
Jr. |
Byron, Minn. |
| Taylor Robertson, Oklahoma* |
G |
5-11 |
Sr. |
McPherson, Kan. |
| Madi Williams, Oklahoma* (2) |
G/F |
5-11 |
Sr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| Vivian Gray, Texas Tech (4) |
G |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Argyle, Texas |
| 2022 All-Big 12 Second Team |
| Name, School |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Sarah Andrews, Baylor |
G |
5-6 |
So. |
Irving, Texas |
| Lauren Fields, Oklahoma State |
G |
5-9 |
Jr. |
Shawnee, Okla. |
| Joanne Allen-Taylor, Texas |
G |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas |
| Rori Harmon, Texas |
G |
5-6 |
Fr. |
Houston, Texas |
| Esmery Martinez, West Virginia |
F |
6-2 |
Jr. |
Hato Mayor del Rey, D.R. |
| All-Big 12 Honorable Mention |
| Baylor |
Ja'Mee Asberry, Queen Egbo |
| Kansas |
Zakiyah Franklin, Taiyanna Jackson |
| Kansas State |
Serena Sundell |
| TCU |
Lauren Heard |
| Texas |
Lauren Ebo, Aliyah Matharu |
| West Virginia |
KK Deans, Kari Niblack, Madisen Smith |
| 2022 Big 12 All-Defensive Team |
| Name, School |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| NaLyssa Smith, Baylor |
F |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Converse, Texas |
| Lexi Donarski, Iowa State |
G |
6-0 |
So. |
La Crosse, Wisc. |
| Taiyanna Jackson, Kansas |
C |
6-6 |
Jr. |
East Chicago, Ind. |
| Ayoka Lee, Kansas State |
C |
6-6 |
Jr. |
Byron, Minn. |
| Rori Harmon, Texas |
G |
5-6 |
Fr. |
Houston, Texas |
| 2022 Big 12 All-Freshman Team |
| Name, School |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown |
| Brylee Glenn, Kansas State |
G |
6-0 |
Kansas City, Mo. |
| Serena Sundell, Kansas State* |
G |
6-1 |
Maryville, Mo. |
| Kelbie Washington, Oklahoma |
G |
5-6 |
Norman, Okla. |
| Rori Harmon, Texas* |
G |
5-6 |
Houston, Texas |
| JJ Quinerly, West Virginia* |
G |
5-8 |
Norfolk, Va. |
*- Unanimous Selection