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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Baylor University women's basketball team |
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furthered its proud tradition of excellence during the 2020-2021 |
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season by winning the Big 12 regular season and tournament |
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championships and advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division |
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I Women's Basketball Tournament; and |
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WHEREAS, Suffering just two losses during their regular |
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schedule, the Lady Bears went 17-1 against their league rivals to |
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capture their 11th consecutive Big 12 season crown, and in so doing, |
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they joined five other programs for the longest such streak in |
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Division I women's basketball history; in the Big 12 tournament, |
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Baylor defeated Texas Christian, Texas, and West Virginia, cruising |
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to its third consecutive tournament championship; and |
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WHEREAS, The Big 12 tournament triumph earned the Lady Bears |
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an invitation to the "Big Dance" of the NCAA tournament; as the |
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number two seed in the River Walk Region, Baylor routed Jackson |
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State and Virginia Tech in the first two games and then met Michigan |
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in a nail-biting showdown in the regional semifinals; the Lady |
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Bears prevailed 78-75 in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight |
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round of the tournament, where their season came to an end in a |
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hard-fought loss to Connecticut; and |
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WHEREAS, Baylor players received numerous accolades for |
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their exceptional play during the season; Junior NaLyssa Smith was |
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named the Big 12 Women's Basketball Player of the Year as well as |
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the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player; seniors |
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DiJonai Carrington and Moon Ursin joined her on the All-Tournament |
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Team, and Ms. Carrington earned recognition as the league's Top |
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Sixth Player and Newcomer of the Year; Baylor also received |
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essential contributions throughout the year from the other members |
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of the roster: DiDi Richards, Trinity Oliver, Jaden Owens, Jordyn |
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Oliver, Hannah Gusters, Kamaria McDaniel, Sarah Andrews, Queen |
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Egbo, Chrislyn Carr, and Caitlin Bickle; Baylor excels under the |
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leadership of head coach Kim Mulkey, who has won three national |
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championships at the university and will be inducted into the |
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021; additional |
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guidance was provided by associate head coach Bill Brock, assistant |
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coaches Sytia Messer and Kaylin Rice, and the other members of the |
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staff; and |
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WHEREAS, With its impressive record of sustained success, the |
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Baylor women's basketball team remains one of the top programs in |
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the country, and the Lady Bears are a source of great pride to their |
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many fans across the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate the Baylor University women's |
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basketball team on its successful 2020-2021 season and extend to |
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all those associated with the team sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Lady Bears as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |