LAWRENCE, Kan. – The outstanding debut season of Kansas forward Jaliya Davis added another accolade Tuesday as she was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week.
Davis opened the week by scoring a career-high 30 points vs. Oklahoma State, extending her streak of games with 20 or more points scored to five. The streak was snapped Saturday at Arizona State, but Davis still finished with 11 points, five rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots in the game. For the week, she averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal per game.
For the year, Davis is averaging 20.2 points per game over nine games she’s appeared in, which ranks second among NCAA Division I freshmen this season, trailing only Northern Arizona’s Naomi White at 22.1 points per game. The last Big 12 player to average at least 20.0 points over her first 10 career games was Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris in 2005-06. Davis is the No. 2 scorer in the Big 12 during league play, averaging 21.5 points per game in six games since her return from injury.
A five-star prospect and McDonald's All-American from Overland Park, Kansas, Davis previously claimed the Big 12 Freshman of the Week award on Jan. 5 and Jan. 12. She becomes the first Big 12 player in the conference to win a weekly award in three-consecutive weeks this season, and the first to claim three-straight honors since Delaney Gibb of BYU was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week in each of the final four weeks of the 2024-25 regular season. Davis, who also earned a spot on the Big 12 Starting Five on Nov. 10, is one of three freshmen in the league to earn multiple Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards this season.
As the Big 12 Freshman of the Week, Davis is included as a member of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Starting Five, which is voted on by a media panel to recognize strong performances from across the conference. Kansas players have now earned six Starting Five honors this season, with four for Davis and two for junior guard S’Mya Nichols (Dec. 1; Dec. 8).
Kansas (11-8, 1-6 Big 12) is back in action tonight, facing Arizona at 7 p.m. CT in Tucson. The Jayhawks will return to Allen Fieldhouse Sunday, Jan. 25, for the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State, which tips off at 12 p.m. CT on FS1. Single-game tickets are available for each of KU's remaining home games and can be purchased by to visiting KUAthletics.com or calling 800-34-HAWKS.
Big 12 Weekly Honors (Jan. 20)
Player of the Week
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State
Freshman of the Week
Jaliya Davis, Kansas
Starting Five
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State (player)
Jaliya Davis, Kansas (freshman)
Heloisa Carrera, Arizona State
Taliah Scott, Baylor