ORLANDO – Kaitlin Peterson, the 2023-24 Big 12 leading scorer, has been named to the Big 12 preseason team, announced by the league on Thursday.
The Eufaula, Alabama, native led the Big 12 last season averaging 20.7 points per game. As a sophomore, she played in all 29 games, totaling 1,089 minutes. Peterson scored double-digit points in every game of the 23-24 season, recording a career-high 35 points at Cincinnati on January 10. Unsurprisingly, she led UCF in scoring last season with 599 points accounting for nearly a third of the Knights' total points. She tallied 198 field goals and 65 three-pointers. She also was the team leader for steals (59) and free throws made (138).
Her arrival in Orlando took the Big 12 by storm as she finished the season ranked first in scoring (20.7) and fourth in three-pointers per game (2.2). She also ranked tenth in the Big 12 in both free throw (.754) and field goal (.382) percentage. Peterson was not only an offensive threat in the Big 12, but she also ranked fifth in steals per game at 2.0. More notably, she was the only player in the league to tally six 30-plus point games. She ended the season being named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
The full list of Big 12 preseason awards is below:
2024-25 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Ayoka Lee, K-State
2024-25 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Co-Newcomers of the Year
Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
2024-25 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Tabitha Betson, Colorado
2024-25 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Sarah Andrews, Baylor
Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor
Kaitlin Peterson, UCF
Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
Ayoka Lee, K-State*
Serena Sundell, K-State
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia*
*Indicates unanimous selection. Players are sorted alphabetically by school.