By Marissa Essenburg | Sports Writer
Baylor women’s basketball’s 2026-27 roster is taking shape around one clear question: can a retooled group help the Bears turn regular-season consistency into a deeper run in March?
Before closing last season with a 25-9 record (13-5 Big 12), Baylor stumbled into March, dropping its final two conference games before a first-round exit in the Big 12 Tournament and a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Duke.
With four of five starters gone, head coach Nicki Collen has rebuilt the roster around star guard Taliah Scott, turning to the portal for the pieces Baylor needs to steady the backcourt, stretch the floor, defend with length and hold its own on the glass after losing its leading rebounder to the WNBA.
At the centerpiece of the new-look squad is redshirt junior Scott, one of the most dynamic scorers in the country who took the Big 12 by storm after a breakout first season in the green and gold.
The most significant addition may be Georgia transfer Trinity Turner. After leading the Bulldogs with 150 assists last season, she’s a proven SEC point guard whose arrival directly addresses the departure of Jana Van Gytenbeek.
Turner averaged 11.5 points and 3.8 assists across two seasons at Georgia. Her ability to facilitate, create off the bounce and defend on the ball gives the Bears a true floor general to organize the offense while easing pressure on Scott.
Turner’s addition becomes even more dangerous alongside fellow SEC guard and Ole Miss transfer Tianna Thompson. Her 41.6% shooting from beyond the arc, one of the top marks in the league, gives Baylor the perimeter punch it lacked at times last season, especially with the departure of Yuting Deng, who announced her transfer to Oklahoma State in April.
Armed with two years of eligibility remaining, newcomer Skylar Jones adds length, pace and defensive disruption, bringing a style reminiscent of former Baylor standout Bella Fontleroy.
Like most of Baylor’s additions, the Louisville and Arizona transfer gives the Bears experience along with versatility and athleticism on the wing, making her a natural fit for a team looking to run and gun on both sides of the ball.
In the frontcourt, Utah transfer Reese Ross brings a much-needed edge to Baylor’s new-look interior. After averaging 9.3 points and 8.2 rebounds as a full-time starter, Ross gives the Bears added strength on the glass and should be a steady forward to a Baylor team looking to fill a Darianna Littlepage-Buggs-sized hole.
For all the new names coming in, Collen still has familiar pieces to build with in Kyla Abraham, Kayla Nelms, Ella Brow and Ines Goryanova, giving Baylor a dose of stability in the middle of a fast-moving roster reset.
But with size leaving the program, Baylor’s interior rotation will lean heavily on Abraham and 6-foot-5 NC State transfer Lorena Awou. Together, they give the Bears their clearest presence in the paint, bringing the size and stability Collen needs as she builds a roster capable of lasting longer in March.
With Scott leading the charge and Collen surrounding her with proven guards, added length and frontcourt grit, the Bears appear built to stay competitive. Now the question lies in whether those pieces can push Baylor past the postseason ceiling it has yet to break through under Nicki Collen.
