Teams are listed in the order they were voted in the Big-12\u2019s official preseason coaches\u2019 poll.<\/p>\n
(All quotes from Big 12 preseason media day in Kansas City)<\/p>\n
1. TCU HORNED FROGS<\/p>\n
Location: Fort Worth, Texas<\/p>\n
Last season: 34-4 overall, 16-2 Big 12 (1st), NCAA Elite Eight<\/p>\n
Coach: Mark Campbell (55-16 in two seasons at TCU, 94-40 in four seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Olivia Miles (15.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.0 apg at Notre Dame)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cI think we have used the portal as well as anybody in the country and we\u2019ve rebuilt it six players at a time each offseason. This offseason I don\u2019t think it was a rebuild. I think it was a reload.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Campbell<\/p>\n
\n People are also reading\u2026\n <\/p>\n
2. IOWA STATE CYCLONES<\/p>\n
Last season: 23-13 overall, 12-6 Big 12 (7th), NCAA first round<\/p>\n
Coach: Bill Fennelly (634-325 in 30 seasons at Iowa State, 800-378 in 37 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key players: C Audi Crooks (23.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.5 apg), F Addy Brown (15.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 5.4 apg)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cThey\u2019re very mature. Their basketball IQs are very high. They understand what they need to do individually and collectively.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Fennelly<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jada Williams (2), shown playing for Arizona against Iowa State last season at McKale, is now a teammate of the Cyclones’ Audi Crooks (55).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grace Trejo, Arizona Daily Star<\/p>\n
3. BAYLOR BEARS<\/p>\n
Last season: 28-8 overall, 15-3 Big 12 (2nd), NCAA second round<\/p>\n
Coach: Nicki Collen (102-36 in four seasons at Baylor and overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: F Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (13.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.2 apg)<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cWe\u2019re one of only four power four programs that have their entire 2022 class that came in together and will go out together, so it goes a long way toward culture and \u2018are new players really understanding what we do, why we do it and when to do it?\u2019”\u00a0\u2014 Collen<\/p>\n
4. OKLAHOMA STATE COWGIRLS<\/p>\n
Location: Stillwater, Okla.<\/p>\n
Last season: 25-7 overall, 14-4 Big 12 (3rd), NCAA first round<\/p>\n
Coach: Jacie Hoyt (160-35 in three seasons at Oklahoma State, 141-100 in eight seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key players: G Micah Gray (13.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg), G Stailee Heard (16.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.0 apg)<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cAs great as last season was, it\u2019s one thing to want to get back to the tournament but it\u2019s a whole other thing to want to be so hungry that you want to win the tournament. That\u2019s the level of motivation we have right now.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Hoyt<\/p>\n
5. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS<\/p>\n
Location: Morgantown, W.Va.<\/p>\n
Last season: 25-8 overall, 13-5 Big 12 (tie-4th), NCAA second round<\/p>\n
Coach: Mark Kellogg (50-16 in two seasons at West Virginia, 245-71 in 10 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key players: G Jordan Harrison (13.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.5 apg)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cWe only have 11 players so that doesn\u2019t go hand-in-hand with depth and balance. But I do think we have a very balanced roster and versatility is really the word that allows us to play different ways.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Kellogg<\/p>\n
6. KANSAS JAYHAWKS<\/p>\n
Last season: 16-14 overall, 6-12 in Big 12 (11th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Brandon Schneider (143-163 in 10 seasons at Kansas, 239-229 in 15 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: S\u2019Mya Nichols (18.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.7 apg)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cWe\u2019re very fortunate in this era to have seven returners who know and understand and embrace our culture and our standards. It\u2019s their responsibility to set the tone of the intensity level.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Schneider<\/p>\n
7. KANSAS STATE WILDCATS<\/p>\n
Location: Manhattan, Kansas<\/p>\n
Last season: 28-8 overall, 13-5 Big 12 (tie-4th), NCAA Sweet 16<\/p>\n
Coach: Jeff Mittie (218-143 in 11 seasons at K-State, 596-361 in 30 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Taryn Sides (9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cThe last couple of years we were right there and last year was a special year. \u2026 (it) helped us in recruiting, attracting players who have those goals.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Mittle<\/p>\n
8. UTAH UTES<\/p>\n
Last season: 22-9 overall, 13-5 Big 12 (tie-4th), NCAA first round<\/p>\n
Coach: Gavin Petersen (19-8 in one season at Utah and overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Lani White (9.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 apg at West Virginia)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cThe one thing that has been so refreshing to see from our newcomers, and even our upperclassmen, is just that they\u2019re coachable.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Petersen<\/p>\n
9. COLORADO BUFFALOES<\/p>\n
Last season: 21-13 overall, 9-9 Big 12 (9th)<\/p>\n
Coach: JR Payne (164-116 in nine seasons at Colorado, 265-229 in 16 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: F Jade Masogayo (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg), WBIT second round<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cThis team reminds me a little bit more of the teams we had before last season (when) we were very defensive-minded. We were very aggressive on both sides of the floor. Last year\u2019s team was not quite as aggressive.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Payne<\/p>\n
10. BYU COUGARS<\/p>\n
Last season: 13-17 overall, 4-14 Big 12 (tie-12th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Lee Cummard (first season at BYU and overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Delaney Gibb (17.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.1 apg)<\/p>\n
He said it: \u201cWe\u2019re always going to have a group of girls who can shoot the 3 ball and we\u2019re going to embrace that fully. Defensively, we\u2019re going to take some calculated risk and try to be aggressive in different aspects.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Cummard<\/p>\n
11. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS<\/p>\n
Last season: 10-22 overall, 3-15 Big 12 (15th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Molly Miller (first season at ASU, 117-38 in five seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Gabby Elliott (13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 apg at Penn State)<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cThey\u2019re going to be tough. We\u2019re going to be committed to the defensive end. It\u2019s going to be fun to play, it\u2019s going to be fun to coach and it\u2019s going to be fun to watch.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Miller<\/p>\n
12. CINCINNATI BEARCATS<\/p>\n
Last season: 15-14 overall, 7-11 Big 12 (10th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Katrina Merriweather (38-53 in three seasons at Cincinnati, 189-123 in 10 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Mya Perry (15.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.4 apg at FAU)<\/p>\n
She said it: An offseason trip to Italy \u201cgave me an opportunity to play with lineups and we have a very versatile group, especially (the) freshmen.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Merriweather<\/p>\n
13. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS<\/p>\n
Last season: 19-18 overall, 4-14 Big 12 (tie-12th), WBIT quarterfinals<\/p>\n
Coach: Krista Gerlich (77-83 in five seasons at Texas Tech, 198-177 in 12 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Bailey Maupin (13.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.2 apg)<\/p>\n
She said it: These are “a great group of young ladies who are really experienced and really determined. We have a lot of seniors on our team this year and they\u2019re very determined and it\u2019s been fun to watch them.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Gerlich<\/p>\n
14. ARIZONA WILDCATS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arizona\u2019s Mickayla Perdue gives out a shout after her last shot rattled the rim, leaving her one short in the finals of the three-point contest against Arizona guard Anthony Dell\u2019Orso at the annual Red-Blue Showcase on Oct. 3, 2025.<\/p>\n
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star<\/p>\n
Last season: 19-14 overall, 10-8 Big 12 (8th), WBIT first round<\/p>\n
Coach: Becky Burke (first season at Arizona, 91-60 in five seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Mickayla Perdue (20.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.3 apg at Cleveland State)<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cWe\u2019re going to have some things that don\u2019t look our favor on paper but I think what they don\u2019t know about our team is our competitiveness, our attention to detail, our blue collar mentality, how gritty these guys are and the chip that they all have on their shoulder.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Burke<\/p>\n
15. HOUSTON COUGARS<\/p>\n
Last season: 5-25 overall, 1-17 Big 12 (16th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Matthew Mitchell (first season at Houston, 333-162 in 15 seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: G Kierra Merchant (9.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.4 spg)<\/p>\n
He said it: Houston players “don\u2019t have to have the most talent but they have to have enough to play our style. The next factor is energy, so I want them to channel that in a positive way.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Mitchell<\/p>\n
16. UCF KNIGHTS<\/p>\n
Last season: 12-18 overall, 4-14 Big 12 (tie-12th)<\/p>\n
Coach: Sytia Messer (38-50 in three seasons at UCF, 92-91 in six seasons overall)<\/p>\n
Key player: C Khyala Ngodu (6.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.8 apg)<\/p>\n
She said it: \u201cOur team is going to be a gritty defensive team with speed. In the portal, my staff and I did a really good job of identifying players we felt would fit that system.\u201d\u00a0\u2014 Messer<\/p>\n