Three Frogs named All-Big 12 performers; Heard is a first team selection

TCU Women’s Basketball begins their postseason run this week in Kansas City, when they take on the Big 12 as the number two seed in the conference tournament. But before they try and bring home some hardware as a team, they’ll celebrate some individual accolades.

On Monday, the Big 12 Conference announced three Horned Frogs had earned league honors, as junior Lauren Heard and seniors Kianna Ray and Jayde Woods were honored.

Heard, the Frogs’ leading scorer, was named First Team All-Big 12, the third Horned Frog in program history to earn the honor, joining Zahna Medley (2014, 2015, 2016) and Jordan Moore (2019). The Denton, Texas, product earns the first All-Big 12 selection of her career after ranking fourth in the league with 18.4 points per game. She also ranked 17tth in the league in rebounds (6.6) and second in steals (2.1). Her 171 free throws made this season set a new school record and ranked second-most among Big 12 players.

Heard became the 21st player overall and the seventh-fastest in school history to score 1,000 points in her career at TCU. She has scored 534 points so far this season, which ranks No. 6 all-time in single-season history.

Kianna Ray was a Second Team selection this season after earning honorable mention accolades as a sophomore in 2017-18. The Austin, Texas, native ranked 20th in the league in both points (12.7) and assists (2.8).

Ray is the fourth TCU player to be named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. She joins Latricia Lovings (2014), Chelsea Prince (2015) and Jordan Moore (2019). Defensively, Ray is the only player in the Big 12 to rank seventh or better in both blocks and steals. She was third in the league with 2.0 steals and 7th overall with 1.5 blocks per game.

Ray became the 20th player in school history to score 1,000 points in a career. She also ranks among the school’s all-time career top-10 lists in three-pointers made (No. 6), assists (No. 5), blocks (No. 5) and steals (No. 7). She is the only player in school history to notch totals of at least 1,000 points, 400 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks in a career.L

Woods posted career-bests all around on her way to earning All-Big 12 honors for the first time in her career. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native nearly doubled her scoring average from a year ago, ranking third on the team with 10.7 points per game. She also totaled career-highs in field goals made (98), free throws made (94) and rebounds (3.9). Her 98 made free throws currently ranks sixth in the league. Additionally, she flummoxed opponents with an innate ability to draw offensive fouls and charges, many in critical situations that helped lead TCU to wins.

TCU, the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, has a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 10 Kansas on Friday, March 13. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.