Baylor junior guard DiDi Richards has been named the Division I Defensive Player of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Richards also is a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
The 6-foot-1 Richards was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, helping the Lady Bears (28-2) claim the league's regular-season title for the 10th year in a row. Baylor, the defending NCAA champion, did not get chance to play in the Big 12 tournament because it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Richards had 52 steals and 25 blocked shots while averaging 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds. Baylor had Division I's top field-goal percentage defense (31%) for the fourth season in a row. According to Synergy, Richards held players she defended to 26.2% shooting from the field.
She is the second Baylor player to win the WBCA award. Center Brittney Griner, now with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, won as a sophomore, junior and senior from 2011 to 2013. The WBCA began presenting the award in 2007.