🏀 S’Mya Nichols Claims Second Big 12 Weekly Award

LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the second time this season, Kansas guard S’Mya Nichols has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week. Nichols received the award after leading the Jayhawks to a 2-0 week that included conference wins over No. 4 Baylor and Oklahoma State.

Nichols averaged 19.5 points per game in KU’s two victories. She topped the 20-point mark for the third time this season with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting as the Jayhawks defeated No. 4 Baylor 87-66 on Wednesday evening. The win marked KU’s first over Baylor since 2014 and its first win over a top-five opponent since 2009.

On Saturday night, Nichols backed that up by scoring a team-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting as KU came from 11 points down to defeat Oklahoma State, 70-64. The OSU game marked the sixth time this season that Nichols has led the Jayhawks in scoring.

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals in two games played. For the week, she shot on 53.4% (13-24) from the field, 57.1% (4-7) from behind the three-point line and 75.0% (9-12) at the free throw line.

This is the second weekly honor for Nichols, who was previously named Freshman of the Week on Dec. 11. She becomes the first Jayhawk to earn multiple honors in a season since Taiyanna Jackson was twice named the Player of the Week in 2022-23. Nichols is now the third KU player to earn multiple Freshman of the Week awards, joining Carolyn Davis (2009-10) and Ioanna Chatzileonti (2020-21).