HomeWomen's SportsWomen's BasketballWBB: Lexi Donarski wins Defensive Player of the year, Cyclones land three...

WBB: Lexi Donarski wins Defensive Player of the year, Cyclones land three on all-Big 12 team

Date:

Related stories

Audi Crooks sweeps Big 12 weekly awards

Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks (55) shoots the...

Iowa State selects Goldenrod Companies to lead CYTown development

The following is a press release from Iowa State...

WBB: Cyclones roll BYU to cap important week with no blemishes

Iowa State Cyclones guard Hannah Belanger (13) lays up...

WATCH: Fennelly, Ryan & Brown talk BYU, final stretch

Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly addressed media members on...
spot_imgspot_img

Lexi Donarski has been named as the best defensive player in the league.

The Big 12 Conference announced its annual awards for the season on Monday evening, with Donarski being named the league’s Defensive player of the year and the Cyclones landed two others on the all-Big 12 first team.

Ashley Joens and Emily Ryan joined Donarski on the first team, making it a program record three Cyclones on the list.

Kansas’ Brandon Schneider won Coach of the Year honors and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith was the Big 12 Player of the Year.

Iowa State opens Big 12 Tournament play on Friday, March 11 at 5:00 p.m. CT taking on the winner of No. 7 West Virginia and No. 10 TCU on ESPN+.

The full league awards can be seen below:

2021-22 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards
Coach of the Year: Brandon Schneider, Kansas (Seventh season at Kansas)
Player of the Year: NaLyssa Smith, Baylor, F, 6-4, Sr., Converse, Texas*
Defensive Player of the Year: Lexi Donarski, Iowa State, G, 6-0, So. La Cross, Wis.
Newcomer of the Year: Jordan Lewis, Baylor, G, 5-7, Gr., Windmere, Fla. 
Freshman of the Year: Rori Harmon, Texas, G, 5-6, Fr., Houston, Texas
Sixth Player Award: Skylar Vann, Oklahoma, G/F, 5-11, So., Edmond, Okla.

All-Big 12 First Team (honors listed alphabetical by school)

PlayerSchoolPositionHeightClassHometown
Jordan LewisBaylorG5-7Gr.Windermere, Fla.
NaLyssa Smith*BaylorF6-4Sr.Converse, Texas
Lexi DonarskiIowa StateG6-0So.La Crosse, Wis.
Ashley Joens*Iowa StateG/F6-1Sr.Iowa City, Iowa
Emily RyanIowa StateG5-11So.Claflin, Kan.
Holly KersgieterKansasG5-11Jr.Sand Springs, Okla.
Ayoka Lee*Kansas StateC6-6Jr.Byron, Minn.
Taylor Robertson*OklahomaG5-11Sr.McPherson, Kan.
Madi Williams*OklahomaG/F5-11Sr.Fort Worth, Texas
Vivian GrayTexas TechG6-1Sr.Argyle, Texas

* Unanimous Selection

All-Big 12 Second Team

PlayerSchoolPositionHeightClassHometown
Sarah AndrewsBaylorG5-6So.Irving, Texas
Lauren FieldsOklahoma StateG5-9Jr.Shawnee, Okla.
Rori HarmonTexasG5-6Fr.Houston, Texas
Joanne Allen-TaylorTexasG5-8Sr.Houston, Texas
Esmery MartinezWest VirginiaF6-2Jr.Dominican Republic


All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Ja’Mee Asberry (Baylor), Queen Egbo (Baylor), Zakiyah Franklin (Kansas), Taiyanna Jackson (Kansas), Serena Sundell (Kansas State), Lauren Heard (TCU), Lauren Ebo (Texas), Aliyah Matharu (Texas), K.K. Deans (West Virginia), Kari Niblack (West Virginia), Madisen Smith (West Virginia).

* Unanimous First Team Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes voted first team by other nine coaches)

Big 12 All-Defensive Team

PlayerSchoolPositionHeightClassHometown
NaLyssa SmithBaylorF6-4Sr.Converse, Texas
Lexi DonarskiIowa StateG6-0So.La Crosse, Wis.
Taiyanna JacksonKansasC6-6Jr.East Chicago, Ind.
Ayoka LeeKansas StateC6-6Jr.Byron, Minn.
Rori HarmonTexasG5-6Fr.Houston, Texas

Big 12 All-Freshman Team

PlayerSchoolPositionHeightClassHometown
Brylee GlennKansas StateG6-0Fr.Kansas City, Mo. 
Serena Sundell*Kansas StateG6-1Fr.Maryville, Mo. 
Kelbie WashingtonOklahomaG5-6Fr.Norman, Okla.
Rori Harmon*TexasG5-6Fr.Houston, Texas
J.J. QuinerlyWest VirginiaG5-8Fr.Norfolk, Va.

* Unanimous Selection (coaches cannot vote for own players, unanimous denotes selected for team on other nine ballots)

Connor Ferguson
Connor Ferguson
Connor will be covering women’s basketball for Cyclone Fanatic during the 2018-19 season. He is currently a junior enrolled at Iowa State and is studying journalism at Iowa State’s Greenlee School of Journalism. Connor also covers a variety of sports around the state of Iowa, including Indoor football and motorsports for Last Word on Sports. He also appears on-air four times a week covering high school football for 1460 KXnO, college football for his own podcast, and professional sports for 88.5 KURE – Iowa State’s student radio station.

Latest News