🏀 S’Mya Nichols Named Big 12 Freshman of the Week

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Following a week in which she led her team to a 2-0 record with back-to-back 20-point performances, Kansas guard S’Mya Nichols has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week.

This is the first career honor for Nichols and the first Big 12 weekly honor claimed by a Jayhawk since Taiyanna Jackson was named Player of the Week on February 13, 2023. She is the first KU player to be named Big 12 Freshman of the Week since Ioanna Chatzileonti claimed the award twice early in the 2020-21 season.

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols has had an exceptional start to her collegiate career, scoring in double figures seven times in her first nine games as a Jayhawk. She took her scoring to another level in KU’s wins over Houston Christian and Wichita State, however, setting a new career-high in both games.

Nichols scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting as she led Kansas to a 79-57 victory over Houston Christian on Wednesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse. She added four rebounds and four assists in just under 25 minutes of action. In Sunday’s 76-56 win at Wichita State, Nichols was even more efficient as she knocked down 10-of-12 field goal attempts, including her lone three-pointer as she finished with a new career-high 23 points. She also had four assists, one steal and one rebound while playing 33 minutes.

For the week, Nichols averaged 21.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game. She shot 69.2 percent from the field, connecting on 18-of-26 field goal attempts, while also shooting 50.0 percent (3-of-6) from three-point range.

Kansas is 5-4 on the year following its victories last week and the Jayhawks will carry a two-game winning streak into a home game against Central Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 16 at Allen Fieldhouse. That game will tip off at 4 p.m. CT and be broadcast by Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.