IRVING, Texas – Iowa State’s Ashley Joens was voted Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, as the Conference released its preseason awards Wednesday. Baylor’s Aijha Blackwell was selected as Preseason Newcomer of the Year and the Bears’ Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was named Preseason Freshman of the Year by a vote of the league’s coaches.

Joens averaged 20.3 points per game in 2021-22, earning the Cheryl Miller Award as the nation’s top small forward for a second consecutive season. She was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team and enters the 2022-23 campaign as the nation’s active leading scorer with 2,369 career points. Joens is the third Iowa State player to be selected as Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and the first since Angie Welle in 2001.

Blackwell becomes the fourth consecutive Bear to earn Preseason Newcomer of the Year, and the eighth in program history. She arrives at Baylor after averaging 14.9 points and a school-record 13.1 rebounds at Missouri in 2021-22, nabbing a spot on the All-SEC Second Team. She enters the season with 40 career double doubles, and has averaged a double double in each of the past two seasons.

Littlepage-Buggs was a McDonald’s All-American who ranked as the No. 17 recruit in the 2022 class by ESPN HoopGurlz. She averaged 15.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Classen School of Advanced Studies in 2021-22, helping the team to a state title. She is the eighth Baylor player to be voted Preseason Freshman of the Year, and the third in the past five seasons.

Joens was one of four players tabbed as a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, joined by Madi Williams (Oklahoma), Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma) and Rori Harmon (Texas). Blackwell, Sarah Andrews (Baylor), Lexi Donarski (Iowa State), Emily Ryan (Iowa State), Holly Kersgieter (Kansas), Serena Sundell (Kansas State) and Aaliyah Moore (Texas) comprise the remainder of the team.

Preseason Player of the Year
Ashley Joens, G/F, Iowa State

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Aijha Blackwell, G, Baylor

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, G/F, Baylor

Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Sarah Andrews, G, Baylor
Aijha Blackwell, G, Baylor
Lexi Donarski, G, Iowa State
Ashley Joens*, G/F, Iowa State
Emily Ryan, G, Iowa State
Holly Kersgieter, G, Kansas
Serena Sundell, G, Kansas State
Taylor Robertson*, G, Oklahoma
Madi Williams*, F, Oklahoma
Rori Harmon*, G, Texas
Aaliyah Moore, F, Texas
*- Denotes unanimous pick
A tie for the 10th spot resulted in 11 selections