By Aidan Pham | LTVN Sports Reporter
No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball’s 69-63 Round of 32 loss to No. 5 seed Ole Miss marked the last time several Bears will wear the green and gold.
Baylor graduates six Bears, with seven expected to return. Battling adversity and playing tough games all year, the Baylor locker room has formed tight-knit connections and friendships.
“I’m just very thankful for every one of them, not even just basketball,” junior forward Bella Fontleroy said. ”I know basketball is what it’s about and what brought us together, but we all mean so much more to each other.”
In her final game as a Bear, graduate guard Sarah Andrews scored 14 points and a game-high six assists. Andrews spent all five years in the green and gold, finishing her Baylor career as the program record holder for career games played at 168 and 3-pointers with 318. However, to her underclassman, Andrews’ impact spans far beyond her records.
“It’s crazy to me that Sarah Andrews never won a national championship because that girl has a heart of a champion,” Fontleroy said. “She pushes the people around her and has drive and the willpower to make things happen. She’s going to be one of the Baylor greats.”
Transferring to Baylor for her final year after making stops at Arizona and Colorado, senior center Aaronette Vonleh says the Baylor program differs from her past destinations.
“With this being my third school, I can confidently say that this has been the most family dynamic [team] I’ve ever been a part of,” Vonleh said. “It was really special to be able to come every day and just be around people that truly like, love and appreciate you. It’s been more than I ever imagined it would be.”
Against Ole Miss, Vonleh extended her streak with double-digit points to nine games, leading the Bears with 16 points to go along with five rebounds.
“The thing about Netty [Vonleh] that’s so infuriating and at the same time so special is she has no idea how good she is,” head coach Nicki Collen said. “Netty is just elite, and if she continues to play that way she’s going to make a lot of money playing this sport.”
Senior guard Yaya Felder scored 12 points in the Round of 64 matchup but only came away with two points against Ole Miss. Felder transferred to Baylor after two seasons at Ohio University. With the team facing injuries in the middle of the season, Felder stepped up and contributed when needed, embracing a bigger role on the team and on the court.
“[Felder] got better throughout the season in just accepting her role,” Andrews said. “I think she could have went anywhere in the country she wanted and started, but she came here because she wanted to win.”
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Andrews and senior guard Jada Walker leaned on their experience and stepped up as leaders. Walker, who transferred to Baylor after two seasons at Kentucky, started in all 69 games she played as a Bear and strengthened the Baylor backcourt.
“I’m just super glad that they trusted me in big moments to shoot the ball,” Walker said. “They’ve trusted me to defend the best players, they just put a lot of trust in me, so I’m super thankful for that.”
Against Ole Miss, Walker had 15 points with two assists. Walker shot two free throws with 46.8 seconds left in the first half to give Baylor its first lead of the game, 27-26. Fighting to the very end, Walker threw up a long three-point attempt at the buzzer.
“Super proud of my team for the way we fought every single game in this season and this game was no different,” Walker said. “We made a couple mistakes that didn’t get us the win, but I’m super proud of them and the ones returning. I hope they feel this and we come back stronger next year.”
With many familiar faces leaving the program, the Bears look to lean on players like junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Fontleroy moving forward. The junior duo has spent three seasons with the program under head coach Nicki Collen.
“To think about that I’ve basically watched them grow up from freshmen to juniors to now, it’s really time for them to become seniors and be the leader of the pack,” Andrews said. “Just to watch this group grow up, I know they’re going to hold this Baylor name well across their chest next year.”
