Michael Voepel
Multiple Authors
Big 12 women’s basketball has gone through a major identity shift in the past three years, with eight new members since 2023 and the departure of league powers Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024.
Baylor dominated the Big 12 from 2011 to 2022, winning or sharing every regular-season title and claiming all but one conference tournament championship. Coach Kim Mulkey’s departure from Baylor to LSU in the spring of 2021 altered that dynamic.
Now in her fifth season in Waco, Texas, Nicki Collen has more firmly established her own program at Baylor. The Bears sit atop the Big 12 standings at 10-2 and are seeking their first regular-season title since last winning its 12th consecutive crown in 2022. Baylor has climbed to No. 11 in ESPN’s women’s college basketball Power Rankings this week, while fellow Big 12 teams West Virginia and Texas Tech have returned to the rankings.
TCU fell out after being upset by Colorado on Sunday. However, the Horned Frogs have a chance to get right back in next week if they can prevail in two high-stakes games.
The first of the season’s two TCU-Baylor matchups is Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Waco. And Sunday will mark the second meeting between TCU and West Virginia, in Fort Worth, Texas; the Frogs won the previous meeting 51-50 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on Jan. 14 in Morgantown.
This week’s outcomes could help show who is clearly in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 regular-season title. Or it could create even more of a logjam at the top of the league’s standings.
It’s no surprise to see Baylor and TCU vying for conference supremacy again. TCU finished first and Baylor second last season, then the Frogs beat the Bears in the Big 12 tournament title game. West Virginia also was expected to be in the championship mix this season. Texas Tech, though, has been an unexpected contender.
Previous ranking: 1
Next seven days: vs. Creighton (Feb. 11), @ Marquette (Feb. 14)
The Huskies dismantled DePaul 86-40 last Wednesday behind 25 points from guard Azzi Fudd. She led the way again with 17 points in Saturday’s 80-48 win over Butler. UConn scoring and rebounding leader Sarah Strong did not play (rest) against the Bulldogs, and fellow forward Blanca Quiñonez missed her fourth consecutive game (shoulder). However, the Huskies are so far ahead of the rest of the Big East, those absences made no difference in their dominance.
Previous ranking: 2
Next seven days: @ Michigan State (Feb. 11), vs. Indiana (Feb. 15)
After racing past Rutgers 86-46 last Wednesday, the Bruins had a scare from Michigan on Sunday but eventually escaped Ann Arbor with a 69-66 decision to extend their winning streak to 17 games. It was UCLA’s first close call since a seven-point victory at Ohio State on Dec. 28. Guard Kiki Rice led the scoring in both games, combining for 37 points for the Bruins, who now have a two-game lead atop the Big Ten.
Previous ranking: 3
Next seven days: @ LSU (Feb. 14)
Since losing their lone SEC game at Oklahoma in overtime on Jan. 22, the Gamecocks have been on a tear, winning five in a row by an average of 32 points. Last week, they steamrolled Mississippi State and Tennessee, beating each by 43 points. Sunday’s 93-50 home win over the Lady Vols was the worst margin of defeat in that storied program’s history. Sunday also saw the return of guard Ta’Niya Latson, who had a team-high 21 points after missing the previous two games with a leg injury. This Saturday’s matchup at LSU will be in prime time on ABC (8:30 p.m. ET).
Previous ranking: 4
Next seven days: @ Vanderbilt (Feb. 12), @ Tennessee (Feb. 15)
Like South Carolina, Texas has responded positively to defeat. The Longhorns lost back-to-back road games against LSU and South Carolina in mid-January, but they have won five in a row since. The three most recent victories have come against ranked foes. In the past week at home, Texas avenged its earlier loss to LSU, winning 77-64, then beat Kentucky 64-53. The Longhorns forced 19 turnovers against the Tigers and 23 versus the Wildcats.
Previous ranking: 5
Next seven days: vs. South Carolina (Feb. 14)
LSU’s seven-game winning streak ended with Thursday’s 77-64 loss at Texas, just the second time this season the Tigers have been held below 70 points. They came back with a strong defensive performance in Sunday’s 77-44 win at Auburn, however. While the SEC regular-season title might be out of reach for LSU with three league losses already, the Tigers still have plenty of motivation for Saturday’s showdown against the Gamecocks in Baton Rouge.
Previous ranking: 9
Next seven days: vs. Texas (Feb. 12), @ Georgia (Feb. 15)
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes remains unstoppable, but she also is now getting good help from freshman and fellow guard Aubrey Galvan. The Commodores held off Kentucky 84-83 on the road Thursday, with Blakes scoring 37 and Galvan adding 16, including four game-clinching free throws in the closing seconds. At home on Monday, Vanderbilt had perhaps its most impressive performance of the season in toppling Oklahoma 102-86, as Blakes (34 points) and Galvan (30) were a combined 23-of-38 (60.5%) from the field.
Previous ranking: 7
Next seven days: @ Northwestern (Feb. 12), vs. Michigan State (Feb. 15)
Coaches often say there are no so-called moral victories. But with the Wolverines, consider that three of their four losses have been to top-five teams by three points: 72-69 to UConn on Nov. 21, 72-69 to Vanderbilt on Jan. 19 and 69-66 to UCLA on Sunday. The Wolverines — who also beat Nebraska 88-76 last week — have played well against some of the best teams in the country, and that should help come NCAA tournament time.
Previous ranking: 8
Next seven days: vs. Maryland (Feb. 15)
The Buckeyes have won 11 of their past 12 outings, including on the road last week against Washington (70-60) and Oregon (80-64). Sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge tallied a combined 45 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the victories. Sophomore center Elsa Lemmilä had her best game of the campaign against Ducks with 23 points and nine rebounds.
Previous ranking: 12
Next seven days: vs. UNC (Feb. 15, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)
The Blue Devils won Thursday’s marquee ACC battle at Louisville 59-58. They followed up with a 95-36 drubbing of visiting SMU on Sunday to extend their winning streak to 15 games. Forward Toby Fournier led the Blue Devils in scoring both games with a combined 41 points. At 13-0, Duke leads the ACC by one game over Louisville, but the Blue Devils still must face their Triangle rivals North Carolina (twice) and NC State.
Previous ranking: 6
Next seven days: vs. Wake Forest (Feb. 12), vs. Florida State (Feb. 15)
The Cardinals’ 14-game winning streak ended at home on Thursday as Duke prevailed by one point and took over the ACC lead. Louisville, which shot just 34% against the Blue Devils, rallied from that defeat with an 84-65 victory at Syracuse on Sunday. Louisville looks to have a less challenging schedule the rest of the way than Duke, as the Cards play four of their last five at home and don’t face any currently ranked foes.
Previous ranking: 16
Next seven days: vs. TCU (Feb. 12), @ UCF (Feb. 15)
Baylor had to battle in two close victories last week: 76-70 at Cincinnati and 67-64 against visiting Arizona State. The Bears have won 10 of their past 11, with the loss coming at West Virginia on Feb. 1. Baylor leads Division I in opponents’ 3-point rate (23.2%). And it has one of the top scorers across the Power 4 conferences in guard Taliah Scott (20.3 points per game) and one of the top rebounders in forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (10.8 per game).
Previous ranking: 10
Next seven days: vs. Florida (Feb. 12), @ Alabama (Feb. 15)
The Sooners didn’t play badly in their 78-70 defeat at Texas on Feb. 1, which made Monday’s 102-86 loss at Vanderbilt more disappointing. Despite a week to prepare, Oklahoma’s defense couldn’t slow down Vandy’s guards, who dominated the contest. On the bright side, five of the Sooners’ six losses have been to teams ranked No. 6 or better at the time (UCLA, Kentucky, LSU, Texas, Vanderbilt), and the other was to then-No. 18 Ole Miss. There are no easy games in the SEC, but just two of the Sooners’ final six foes are ranked.
Previous ranking: Not ranked
Next seven days: vs. UCF (Feb. 11), @ TCU (Feb. 15)
The Mountaineers have won six of their past seven, with victories last week at Colorado (61-55) and against visiting Arizona (87-68). West Virginia has long been known for its pesky defense and grind-it-out style. But if the Mountaineers finish at their current 76.8 PPG, it would be the program’s second-highest average behind the 82.4 PPG in 1991-92.
Previous ranking: Not ranked
Next seven days: @ Oklahoma State (Feb. 14)
Texas Tech beat Houston (85-61) and Kansas (70-65) this past week, and it is 4-3 since starting the campaign 19-0. Now 10-3 in the Big 12, the Lady Raiders remain in contention for their first regular-season league championship since 2000, when they shared the title with Iowa State and Oklahoma.
Previous ranking: 11
Next seven days: vs. Arkansas (Feb. 12), @ Kentucky (Feb. 15), vs. Tennessee (Feb. 17)
The Rebels lost their only game last week, 64-63 at Alabama on Thursday, despite 22 points, six rebounds and five assists from senior star Cotie McMahon. Ole Miss is sixth in the SEC, but four of its remaining seven foes are ranked, including South Carolina and LSU.
Previous ranking: 14
Next seven days: vs. UCLA (Feb. 11), @ Michigan (Feb. 15)
The Spartans hung on to a spot in the Power Rankings despite their 86-70 home loss to Maryland last Wednesday. They were able to regroup after trailing by 16 points at Penn State on Saturday to win 81-70. In facing two of the league’s top teams this week, Michigan State still has a chance to make a big splash in the Big Ten.
Dropped out: Iowa Hawkeyes, TCU Horned Frogs
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