By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
It’s the first breath of spring, when the sun shines and flowers bloom. But for basketball fans, it’s when dreams are made and hearts are broken, when professionals and students alike mysteriously call in sick just to spend the day glued to the couch in front of a split screen. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s March.
For the 24th time in program history and the fifth under head coach Nicki Collen, No. 21 Baylor is headed to the Big Dance. After piecing together its 25th straight 20-win campaign, finishing with a 24-8 overall record and a 13-5 mark in conference play, Baylor has played its way into March once again, now chasing a deep tournament run that slipped away in the second round a year ago.
“There’s no tomorrow if you fear it,” head coach Nicki Collen said after Sunday’s tournament selection show. “So for us, we should be excited about the opportunity and not take it for granted because not everybody is playing this time of year. We’ve got to give it our all because if you don’t give it your all, you’re going home.”
The Bears land in Region 2, with the road to Sacramento lined with heavyweights and history.
Looming on Baylor’s side are No. 3 seed Duke as a possible second-round matchup; No. 2 seed LSU, led by former Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey; and No. 5 seed Ole Miss, the team that delivered Baylor’s season-ending blow in the Round of 32 at Foster Pavilion a season ago.
With all eyes fixed on the task at hand, Baylor will face No. 11 seed Nebraska (19-12), who knocked off Richmond (26-8) in Wednesday night’s First Four matchup, Friday at 1 p.m. in Durham, N.C.
For the second time in three years, the Bears head into the tournament preparing for an unknown first-round opponent, something Collen said starts with prioritizing Baylor’s own approach over the uncertainty.
“We know who Duke is, if we should get there, but we also know it doesn’t matter how confident you are if you don’t get there,” Collen said. “In March, you have to take it one game at a time. We need to play good basketball, understand the scouting report and take away personnel. That’s where our focus needs to be over these next few days — understanding how teams are going to try to beat us.”
That approach shaped Baylor’s preparation as it readied for two different looks in Nebraska and Richmond.
“Richmond is very hard to scout because they’re motion-based and they can shoot it,” Collen said. “Nebraska plays with great pace, they’re aggressive defensively and they play through the paint. They’re more set-driven. What I know is they’re both good programs, so we’re going to lean into what we can focus on.”
With its entire active roster healthy, two weeks of rest and preparation behind them and a visit from former national champions Brittney Griner and Sophia Young-Malcolm, Baylor enters the final stretch of postseason play with fresh legs, a renewed mindset and a chance to turn that energy into a title run.
“There comes a certain point where it does get stale, and it was really good for their recovery, both mentally and physically,” Collen said. “It’s allowed us to lean in and spend time together, so I think it was important for our bodies and, hopefully, for getting our minds right for what’s ahead.”
While March may be familiar territory for the program, the stage is still new for much of Baylor’s lineup. Outside of the Bears’ four seniors, few players have been tested under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament, leaving Collen to lean on her veterans to chart the course through Durham and toward Sacramento.
With point guard Jana Van Gytenbeek sidelined last season and center Kiersten Johnson not yet in a Baylor uniform, senior forwards Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs stand alone as Baylor’s only players with significant March experience in the green and gold. Behind them, that résumé gets thin fast, with Kyla Abraham next at 16 career NCAA Tournament minutes.
“We have a lot of players who haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament or played valuable minutes in it,” Collen said. “With Bella and [Littlepage-]Buggs both starting for that group over the last two years, and Jana contributing off the bench, we do have to lean into that experience a little bit. But we also have to be motivated by the opportunity and fearless in our approach.”
After stringing together back-to-back home wins late in the regular season, Baylor saw that momentum fade with consecutive losses to TCU, which clinched its second straight Big 12 regular-season title, and to Colorado in the conference tournament. The Bears now arrive in Durham looking to bounce back and find their stride down the bracket.
“They’re excited. We had always bounced back from losses earlier in the season, but after having two in a row, you have that negative feeling,” Collen said. “I hope it’s a motivating one, because everyone in that locker room knows that when they play well, they can beat teams like Duke, so we’re excited to get back on the floor.”
Should Baylor move past No. 11 seed Nebraska, a probable second-round clash with No. 8-ranked Duke would await the Bears on the Blue Devils’ home floor, setting the stage for a rematch after the Bears took the season opener in Paris.
If Baylor gets through the Blue Devils, a Sweet 16 showdown with No. 5 LSU could follow, marking the first meeting between the programs since Mulkey left the Bears for Baton Rouge.
The 64-team tournament begins Friday, with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight set for Fort Worth and Sacramento, Calif. From there, the road to a national title leads to Phoenix, where the Women’s Final Four tips off April 3 before a champion is crowned April 5 on Easter Sunday at the home of the Phoenix Mercury and Suns.
Baylor will face Nebraska at 1 p.m. Friday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., with the game set to air on ESPN.
