PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kansas freshman forward Jaliya Davis and junior guard S’Mya Nichols have both been recognized as All-America Honorable Mention by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the organization announced Thursday.
The 2026 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America team is comprised of the 10 best players in NCAA Division I regardless of position. In addition to the first team, 38 student-athletes received All-America Honorable Mention. Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider is the chair of the WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee this season.
Davis had a superb freshman season for the Jayhawks, averaging 19.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. She scored 20 or more points 15 times, which ranks sixth in school history for a single season and is third-most in Big 12 history by a freshman. During Big 12 play, Davis ranked second in the league in scoring with 21.5 points per game, while leading the league by shooting 63.6 percent (136-of-214) from the field.
A McDonald’s All-American from Overland Park, Kansas, Davis was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection this season. She set a new power conference record with nine-consecutive Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards, sweeping the honor in January, February and March. Davis was also named to the WBIT All-Tournament Team, and she was selected as the USBWA Co-National Freshman of the Week on Feb. 10.
Nichols added another record-setting chapter to her Kansas career, as she averaged 17.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game as a junior. Nichols led the nation in free throw shooting, hitting 243-of-287 (84.7 percent) attempts, breaking her own single-season record of 218 free throws from her sophomore campaign. With 628 points, Nichols ranks 10th in school history for a single season, while her 167 assists this year ranks ninth. She scored in double figures 32 times in 36 games, with 13 games of 20 or more points.
A product of Shawnee Mission West HS and Overland Park, Kansas, Nichols continues to etch her name into the Kansas women’s basketball history books. She is the program’s all-time leader in free throws made (627), ranks second with 38 games scoring 20+ points while ranking seventh in assists (397). In KU’s final game of the 2025-26 season, Davis moved into the top 10 in career scoring with 1,693 points. Additionally, her career free throw percentage of 83.8 percent and career three-point percentage of 40.5 percent would both rank third in school history.
Nichols is now a two-time WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honoree and a three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection. She was twice named to the Big 12 Starting Five this season, earning conference honors on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, 2025. Nichols was also listed on the Liebermann Point Guard of the Year, the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award Watch Lists prior to the start of the 2025-26 season.