By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
Baylor women’s basketball’s 2025-26 season didn’t end the way it was expected to.
The Bears started 19-3 before losing five of their last 10 ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Baylor squeaked past Nebraska before falling to Duke in a 23-point loss that ended their season.
As the Bears enter the new season, they look to make a deep run with returning production and newfound depth.
Baylor returns a core of returners from last year while bringing in talent from across the country to solidify the lineup. Head coach Nicki Collen believes the team has what it takes but needs to translate it into consistent production.
“I think we’ve got a lot of hungry players,” Collen said. “Players that have been productive, whether it was in major minutes or limited minutes at other places.”
The squad features seven players from last season and five transfers.
Before Baylor started its regular-season journey, it spent the offseason building chemistry while improving individually in strengths and weaknesses. Collen said the team had player development plans before the team ever got into competitive practices.
The biggest concern from a year ago was the offense, finishing eighth in the Big 12 in points per game and 12th in team shooting percentage. The Bears leaned heavily on their defense, marking a shift from what the program had been doing.
“We were elite offensively for four years,” Collen said. “We were not a year ago, won 25 games and had to lean on our defense.”
Baylor’s ability to lean on its offense this year could start in the frontcourt. The Bears brought in senior forward Reese Ross, who averaged 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for Utah last year, and junior forward Kate Koval, who recorded 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for LSU.
The Bears will also still feature fifth-year forward Kyla Abraham. After coming off the bench for all 34 games for the Bears, Abraham will now step into a larger role and contribute down low.
“She can rim run, she can rim protect, she can roll, and she can rebound,” Collen said.
With reliable paint presence, Baylor’s guards will now have more room to work on the three-point line.
One of the returning guards is senior Taliah Scott. Scott established herself as one of the nation’s best last year, earning 2026 All-Big 12 First Team. This year, Scott will look to maintain that production as the Bears’ number one option.
Scott also steps into a leadership role after last year’s leaders, Bella Fontleroy and Jana Van Gytenbeek, depart.
“It’s definitely weird not having them because they were all natural-born leaders,” Scott said. “They were here in the program for four years.”
Scott has acknowledged that she has needed to adjust what she does on and off the court when around her teammates
“Having to take that leadership role, whether it’s by example or by being more vocal about stuff,” Scott said. “And helping them through stuff and helping them see through suffering, saying what Nikki wants, and helping put that out, um, in the air.”
Scott’s leadership has already been felt from new transfer junior guard Tianna Thompson.
“She always makes sure that if I look a little confused about a drill or whatever, she always tells me the options,” Thompson said. “She helps me see things the way that they do it here.”
Thompson arrives in Waco from Ole Miss for her junior year along with transfer junior guard Trinity Turner. Both aim to add depth and provide options beyond Scott.
The newcomers have already made their presence known this season, bringing high-intensity competitiveness in practice.
“I think they just bring a fight and a dog that I feel like we didn’t have as much of last year,” Scott said. “Everybody that’s coming in is coming in, and they’re competitive. They want to win.”
Baylor will also receive a boost when sophomore guard Marcayla Johnson recovers from injury. Johnson has worked hard to return to the court, and her return will give the Bears another scoring option.
Baylor will get chances to prove itself with high-level games against USC and Tennessee in non-conference play before entering a tough Big 12 conference. These games will test how far the Bears offense has come since last season and how it will fare against the best teams.
Baylor will start its season at home when it takes on Fairleigh Dickinson at 6 p.m. Monday at Foster Pavilion.
