Connie Yori (Nebraska) earned her first Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year honor while Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska) became the first Cornhusker to garner Big 12 Player of the Year in highlighting the 2009-10 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Awards.
Danielle Adams (Texas A&M) was voted Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Brittney Griner (Baylor) was selected Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year with Yvonne Turner (Nebraska) while Bianca Smith (Colorado) earned the Sixth Man Award. The honors were voted by the league's head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players.
Yori, in her eighth season at Nebraska, led the program to its first Big 12 regular season title and the Conference's first undefeated regular season in women's or men's basketball. The Huskers enter the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship with a 29-0 mark and finished Big 12 play at 16-0. NU became the third Big 12 basketball program to complete the Conference season undefeated joining the Oklahoma women (2006) and Kansas men (2002).
Griffin is one of two Big 12 players averaging a double-double with a Conference-high 10.4 rebounds a game to go along with 20.4 points - good for second in the league. The senior forward also leads the Big 12 with 17 double-doubles and is second in field goal percentage (61.1%). In Conference-only games she improved her scoring and rebounding averages to 21.4 ppg and 10.6 rpg. Griffin has been named Big 12 Player of the Week on five occasions over the season. She missed last year with an injury after being named All-Big 12 First Team in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Adams leads Texas A&M with 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while primarily coming in off the bench. Her point average is ninth in the Big 12. She is also the team's top shot blocker (42), and from her center position is a threat from the three-point line. She has connected on 21 treys to tie for second on the squad. The 6-1 junior was selected Big 12 Player of the Week on January 25. Adams is the second consecutive Aggie to earn top newcomer honors along with Tanisha Smith last season.
Griner set the Big 12 single season blocks record in her rookie campaign and is already 12th on the league career chart with 173. Her 6.0 blocks average is second in the NCAA. She is third in the Conference in both scoring and rebounding with 19 ppg and 8.7 rpg. The 6-8 center has recorded three triple-doubles to tie for the most in a season in Big 12 history and is two shy of tying the league career mark. It is also tied for the most in the NCAA this season. Griner is the first Lady Bear named freshman of the year and the second selected for defensive player of the year with Abiola Wabara in 2006.
Turner is a key cog in Nebraska's defense that holds opponents to 57.5 points a game and a 38.3 shooting percentage. The 5-8 guard leads the Huskers with 56 steals while also averaging 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. She is third in the Big 12 with 2.5 three-pointers made a game. Turner was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team for the third straight season and earned Big 12 Player of the Week on January 18. Turner garnered Nebraska's first defensive player of the year award.
Smith averages 13.2 points and 2.6 rebounds off the bench for CU while leading the Big 12 with 81 3-pointers. She ranks 14th in 3-point accuracy at 35 percent (81-of-228) and is 13th in scoring. The 5-9 senior is CU's all-time leader in three-pointers made with 256, which ranks ninth in Big 12 career records while her 702 three-point attempts ranks eighth. Smith is the first Colorado player to win the sixth man award.
2009-10 PHILLIPS 66 ALL-BIG 12 AWARDS
Coach of the Year: Connie Yori, Nebraska
Player of the Year: Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska
Newcomer of the Year: Danielle Adams, Texas A&M
Freshman of the Year: Brittney Griner, Baylor
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Brittney Griner, Baylor and Yvonne Turner, Nebraska
Sixth Man Award: Bianca Smith, Colorado
| All-Big 12 First Team (alphabetical by school) |
| Player | School | Pos | Ht | Cl | Hometown |
| Brittney Griner | Baylor | C | 6-8 | Fr | Houston, Texas |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | G | 6-0 | Sr | Canberra, Australia |
| Ashley Sweat^ | Kansas State | F | 6-2 | Sr | McPherson, Kan. |
| Kelsey Griffin#+ | Nebraska | F | 6-2 | Sr | Eagle River, Alaska |
| Cory Montgomery | Nebraska | F | 6-2 | Sr | Cannon Falls, Minn. |
| Yvonne Turner | Nebraska | G | 5-8 | Sr | Omaha, Neb. |
| Danielle Robinson^ | Oklahoma | G | 5-9 | Jr | San Jose, Calif. |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | F | 6-1 | Sr | Chicago, Ill. |
| Andrea Riley^# | Oklahoma State | G | 5-5 | Sr | Dallas, Texas |
| Tanisha Smith | Texas A&M | G/F | 6-0 | Sr | Kansas City, Mo. |
| |
| All-Big 12 Second Team (alphabetical by school) |
| Player | School | Pos | Ht | Cl | Hometown |
| Danielle McCray^ | Kansas | G/F | 5-11 | Sr | Olathe, Kan. |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | F | 5-9 | Sr | Little Rock, Ark. |
| Tegan Cunningham | Oklahoma State | F | 6-1 | Sr | Melbourne, Australia |
| Brittainey Raven$ | Texas | G | 6-0 | Sr | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Danielle Adams | Texas A&M | F/C | 6-1 | Jr | Kansas City, Mo. |
^ 2008-09 First Team Selection
# 2007-08 First Team Selection
+ 2006-07 First Team Selection
$ 2008-09 Second Team Selection
(Lacey, Griffin, Robinson and Riley unanimous 2009-10 First Team selections) |
| |
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (alphabetical by school)
Kelli Griffin (Baylor), Morghan Medlock (Baylor), Brittany Spears (Colorado), Kelsey Bolte (Iowa State), RaeShara Brown (Missouri), Jessra Johnson (Missouri), Dominique Kelley (Nebraska), Ashleigh Fontenette (Texas), Kathleen Nash (Texas), Sydney Carter (Texas A&M), Jordan Murphree (Texas Tech), Ashlee Roberson (Texas Tech)
| Big 12 All-Defensive Team (alphabetical by school) |
| Player | School | Pos | Ht | Cl | Hometown |
| Brittney Griner | Baylor | C | 6-8 | Fr | Houston, Texas |
| Denae Stuckey | Iowa State | G | 5-8 | Sr | Kansas City, Mo. |
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | F | 6-2 | Sr | Eagle River, Alaska |
| Yvonne Turner*~ | Nebraska | G | 5-8 | Sr | Omaha, Neb. |
| Danielle Robinson~ | Oklahoma | G | 5-9 | Jr | San Jose, Calif. |
* 2007-08 Team
~ 2008-09 Team |
| |
| Big 12 All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school) |
| Player | School | Pos | Ht | Cl | Hometown |
| Brittney Griner | Baylor | C | 6-8 | Fr | Houston, Texas |
| Anna Prins | Iowa State | C | 6-6 | Fr | Broomfield, Colo. |
| Carolyn Davis | Kansas | F | 6-3 | Fr | Houston, Texas |
| Lindsey Moore | Nebraska | G | 5-9 | Fr | Covington, Wash. |
| Cokie Reed | Texas | C | 6-4 | Fr | Waco, Texas |