Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady Named Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year
Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady named the Big 12 Conference’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2024-2025 athletic season. Canady is the first Red Raider, male or female, to be named the conference’s athlete of the year.
Canady was a key piece to Texas Tech’s magical run in 2025 after she transferred in from Stanford. She helped the Red Raiders to their best season in school history which included their first Big 12 Championship and first Women’s College World Series Appearance. All of which culminated in a game three loss to Texas in the WCWS Championship Series – a historic run for a program who had not made the postseason since 2019 and never gotten past a regional before Canady’s arrival.
The three-time All-American finished 2025 with a 1.11 ERA to go along with 319 strikeouts in 240 innings pitched. Furthermore, she also broke out as a hitter this season notching a .271 average and team leading 11 home runs. This work earned her numerous awards including First Team All-American, the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Team Member of the Year and a top three finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year.
She was also the prestigious Honda Award recipient for softball for the second year in a row, she became only the second Texas Tech athlete to win a Honda Award for her sport alongside Sally Kipyego who won the Honda Award for Cross Country three years in a row from 2007-2009. Canady will have the opportunity to achieve that same feat as a senior in 2026 – and perhaps become the first Red Raider to ever win the overall Honda Cup as well.
Canady will return to Texas Tech for her senior season in 2026, poised to make a run at a National Championship alongside 11 returners, seven incoming freshman and a loaded transfer class.
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