Harrison Named Defensive Player of the Year; All-Big 12 Conference Honors Announced
March 03, 2026 04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior guard Jordan Harrison has been named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, as Harrison, graduate forward Kierra Wheeler and Junior Guard Gia Cooke have been named to the 2025-26 All-Big 12 Conference teams, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Harrison headlines this year's selections as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, along with earning All-Big 12 First Team and the All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors. She was a unanimous selection on the defensive team.
A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Harrison is just the second player in program history to be named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. The honor marks the third straight season a Mountaineer has earned the distinction after JJ Quinerly earned the honor in each of the last two seasons.
Harrison is just the fourth Mountaineer to be featured on the all-defensive team in two separate seasons, joining Quinerly (2023-24-25), Lanay Montgomery (2016-17) and Jess Harlee (2013-14). Harrison was also on the list during the 2024 season. It is also the third time she has been named to an all-conference team after earning second-team honors in both 2024 and 2025.
Harrison helped the Mountaineers become one of the best defenses in the conference. WVU was second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (60.88) and finished first in steals (189), steals per game (11.2), turnovers forced (378), and turnover margin (+5.82). She led the conference in steals this season with 64, as Harrison averaged 3.76 steals per game and was the only conference player to average more than 2.5. Harrison's 94 steals this season rank 11th in program history as she is on pace to become just the sixth Mountaineer to reach the 100 steals mark.
Cooke and Wheeler each finished on the conference honorable mention list for their efforts this season.
West Virginia now has 38 all-conference team selections across 14 seasons in the Big 12.
Player of the Year
Olivia Miles, TCU
Freshman of the Year
Jaliya Davis, Kansas*
Newcomer of the Year
Olivia Miles, TCU
Defensive Player of the Year
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Sixth Player of the Year
Snudda Collins, Texas Tech
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Arianna Jackson, Iowa State
Coach of the Year
Krista Gerlich, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 Teams
First Team
Taliah Scott, Baylor
Delaney Gibb, BYU
Jaliya Davis, Kansas
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
Jada Williams, Iowa State
Olivia Miles, TCU*
Marta Suarez, TCU*
Bailey Maupin, Texas Tech
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Second Team
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Jade Masogayo, Colorado
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State
Snudda Collins, Texas Tech
Lani White, Utah
Third Team
Gabby Elliott, Arizona State
McKinna Brackens, Arizona State
Mya Perry, Cincinnati
Tess Heal, K-State
Micah Gray, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention
Arizona: Noelani Cornfield
Baylor: Bella Fontleroy, Jana Van Gytenbeek
BYU: Olivia Hamlin
UCF: Khyala Ngodu
Colorado: Zyanna Walker, Desiree Wooten
K-State: Taryn Sides
Oklahoma State: Achol Akot, Jadyn Wooten
TCU: Donovyn Hunter
Texas Tech: Jalynn Bristow
West Virginia: Gia Cooke, Kierra Wheeler
All-Freshman Team
Olivia Hamlin, BYU*
Caliyah DeVillasee, Cincinnati
Logyn Greer, Colorado
Jaliya Davis, Kansas*
LA Sneed, Utah
All-Defensive Team
Bella Fontleroy, Baylor
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Zyanna Walker, Colorado
Donovyn Hunter, TCU
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia*
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players on the All-Big 12 team are sorted alphabetically by school
Harrison headlines this year's selections as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, along with earning All-Big 12 First Team and the All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors. She was a unanimous selection on the defensive team.
A native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Harrison is just the second player in program history to be named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. The honor marks the third straight season a Mountaineer has earned the distinction after JJ Quinerly earned the honor in each of the last two seasons.
Harrison is just the fourth Mountaineer to be featured on the all-defensive team in two separate seasons, joining Quinerly (2023-24-25), Lanay Montgomery (2016-17) and Jess Harlee (2013-14). Harrison was also on the list during the 2024 season. It is also the third time she has been named to an all-conference team after earning second-team honors in both 2024 and 2025.
Harrison helped the Mountaineers become one of the best defenses in the conference. WVU was second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (60.88) and finished first in steals (189), steals per game (11.2), turnovers forced (378), and turnover margin (+5.82). She led the conference in steals this season with 64, as Harrison averaged 3.76 steals per game and was the only conference player to average more than 2.5. Harrison's 94 steals this season rank 11th in program history as she is on pace to become just the sixth Mountaineer to reach the 100 steals mark.
Cooke and Wheeler each finished on the conference honorable mention list for their efforts this season.
West Virginia now has 38 all-conference team selections across 14 seasons in the Big 12.
Player of the Year
Olivia Miles, TCU
Freshman of the Year
Jaliya Davis, Kansas*
Newcomer of the Year
Olivia Miles, TCU
Defensive Player of the Year
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Sixth Player of the Year
Snudda Collins, Texas Tech
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Arianna Jackson, Iowa State
Coach of the Year
Krista Gerlich, Texas Tech
All-Big 12 Teams
First Team
Taliah Scott, Baylor
Delaney Gibb, BYU
Jaliya Davis, Kansas
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
Jada Williams, Iowa State
Olivia Miles, TCU*
Marta Suarez, TCU*
Bailey Maupin, Texas Tech
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Second Team
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Jade Masogayo, Colorado
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State
Snudda Collins, Texas Tech
Lani White, Utah
Third Team
Gabby Elliott, Arizona State
McKinna Brackens, Arizona State
Mya Perry, Cincinnati
Tess Heal, K-State
Micah Gray, Oklahoma State
Honorable Mention
Arizona: Noelani Cornfield
Baylor: Bella Fontleroy, Jana Van Gytenbeek
BYU: Olivia Hamlin
UCF: Khyala Ngodu
Colorado: Zyanna Walker, Desiree Wooten
K-State: Taryn Sides
Oklahoma State: Achol Akot, Jadyn Wooten
TCU: Donovyn Hunter
Texas Tech: Jalynn Bristow
West Virginia: Gia Cooke, Kierra Wheeler
All-Freshman Team
Olivia Hamlin, BYU*
Caliyah DeVillasee, Cincinnati
Logyn Greer, Colorado
Jaliya Davis, Kansas*
LA Sneed, Utah
All-Defensive Team
Bella Fontleroy, Baylor
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Zyanna Walker, Colorado
Donovyn Hunter, TCU
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia*
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players on the All-Big 12 team are sorted alphabetically by school
Players Mentioned
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