Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus Missouri on November 15, 2025 , Win , 82, to, 77
Final
Women's Basketball
82
vs Missouri
77
Career Performance Lands S’Mya Nichols a Spot on Big 12 Starting Five
12/1/2025 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – A historic scoring effort from Kansas junior guard S'Mya Nichols earned her a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five for week four of the 2025-26 season, the league announced Monday.
The Big 12 Women's Basketball Starting Five is voted on by a media panel that votes on weekly honors that include the player and freshman of the week. The five honored highlight additional strong performances from across the conference.
Nichols scored a career-high 40 points on Friday night against Georgia in KU's opening game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. She was 12-of-17 from the field and 14-of-20 from the free throw line, also setting career highs for field goals and free throws made in a game. Nichols surpassed her career high of 29 points, previously set during her freshman season, and the point total now represents the most by a Kansas player in head coach Brandon Schneider's tenure. Additionally, she became the first Kansas played to score 40 or more points in more than 40 years, recording the first 40-point effort since Vickie Adkins went for 41 against Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1984.
In eight games this season, Nichols has scored in double figures seven times, with five games of at least 20 points. She's now averaging 20.1 points per game, which ranks third in the Big 12 and No. 25 nationally. Nichols continues to climb KU's career charts, currently sitting at No. 24 on the all-time scoring list with 1,226 career points, and No. 3 in school history with 444 made free throws.
From Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols becomes the second Kansas player to earn a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five this season, joining freshman forward Jaliya Davis, who earned the recognition on Nov. 10. This is the third career Big 12 weekly recognition for Nichols, who was a two-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week during the 2023-24 season.
Kansas (6-2) returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with a road trip to Evanston, Illinois, to face the Northwestern Wildcats. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Welsh-Ryan Arena and be broadcast on B1G+. The Jayhawks have two non-conference home games remaining, the next coming on Sunday, Dec. 14 against Denver. Single game tickets are available for each of KU's remaining home games. To learn more about ticket options, fans are encouraged to visit KUAthletics.com or call 800-34-HAWKS.
Big 12 Starting Five (Dec. 1)
Sydney Benally, BYU (Freshman of the Week)
Audi Crooks, Iowa State (Player of the Week)
Leah Harmon, UCF
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
Daniah Trammell, Arizona
The Big 12 Women's Basketball Starting Five is voted on by a media panel that votes on weekly honors that include the player and freshman of the week. The five honored highlight additional strong performances from across the conference.
Nichols scored a career-high 40 points on Friday night against Georgia in KU's opening game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. She was 12-of-17 from the field and 14-of-20 from the free throw line, also setting career highs for field goals and free throws made in a game. Nichols surpassed her career high of 29 points, previously set during her freshman season, and the point total now represents the most by a Kansas player in head coach Brandon Schneider's tenure. Additionally, she became the first Kansas played to score 40 or more points in more than 40 years, recording the first 40-point effort since Vickie Adkins went for 41 against Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1984.
In eight games this season, Nichols has scored in double figures seven times, with five games of at least 20 points. She's now averaging 20.1 points per game, which ranks third in the Big 12 and No. 25 nationally. Nichols continues to climb KU's career charts, currently sitting at No. 24 on the all-time scoring list with 1,226 career points, and No. 3 in school history with 444 made free throws.
From Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols becomes the second Kansas player to earn a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five this season, joining freshman forward Jaliya Davis, who earned the recognition on Nov. 10. This is the third career Big 12 weekly recognition for Nichols, who was a two-time Big 12 Freshman of the Week during the 2023-24 season.
Kansas (6-2) returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with a road trip to Evanston, Illinois, to face the Northwestern Wildcats. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Welsh-Ryan Arena and be broadcast on B1G+. The Jayhawks have two non-conference home games remaining, the next coming on Sunday, Dec. 14 against Denver. Single game tickets are available for each of KU's remaining home games. To learn more about ticket options, fans are encouraged to visit KUAthletics.com or call 800-34-HAWKS.
Big 12 Starting Five (Dec. 1)
Sydney Benally, BYU (Freshman of the Week)
Audi Crooks, Iowa State (Player of the Week)
Leah Harmon, UCF
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
Daniah Trammell, Arizona
Players Mentioned
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