Over two decades, Baylor women’s basketball has turned championships into careers. From Sophia Young-Malcolm to Brittney Griner and NaLyssa Smith, generations of Bears continue to define greatness beyond Waco and into the WNBA.

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.

No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball suffered a Round of 32 upset on its home court for the second time in the Nicki Collen era as the fifth-seeded Ole Miss Rebels dominated on the offensive glass and forced 21 turnovers en route to a 69-63 win Sunday at the Foster Pavilion.

After a bitter loss to No. 1 TCU in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball walked onto the court ready for a deep NCAA Tournament run starting against No. 13 Grand Canyon in what head coach Nicki Collen called a “potentially bracket-busting game.”

Behind senior center Aaronette Vonleh’s fifth double-double, No. 4 seed Baylor women’s basketball took down No. 13 seed Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon at Foster Pavilion.

The fourth-seeded Bears (27-7) will open their tournament run against No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, a squad riding a 30-game winning streak, at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Foster Pavilion. Friday will mark the first matchup between the two teams with the longest active winning streak in Division I on the line for the Antelopes (32-2).

Whether junior guard Waiata Jennings is sitting on the bench, standing at the scorer’s table, or playing tight defense, “Waiz” (sounds like ‘wise’) has a smile on her face.

In her first season with No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball and her last in college, senior center Aaronette Vonleh stole the show during the weeks leading up to March Madness. With the help of head coach Nicki Collen and her teammates, Vonleh averaged a career-best 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and will declare for the WNBA Draft following the semester.

Overcoming a 13-point second-half deficit, No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball had a 3-point look with three seconds left to force overtime in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship finals Sunday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Senior center Aaronette Vonleh dropped a career-high 37 points to pull No. 2 Baylor women’s basketball past No. 3 Oklahoma State 84-74 in overtime in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals Saturday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Nicki Collen picked up her 100th win as the head coach of the second-seeded Bears as her team led for 38 1/2 minutes. The green and gold turned the seventh-seeded Cyclones over 22 times which led to 20 points off turnovers and countered sophomore center Audi Crooks’ 32-point outburst.

Unable to overcome their worst shooting night of the season at 27.7% from the floor, the Bears lost the top spot in the Big 12 and saw their nine-game winning streak snapped in a 51-48 loss to the 10th-ranked Horned Frogs on Sunday evening.

Senior center Aaronette Vonleh tallied a season-high 24 points as No. 17 Baylor women’s basketball never trailed, handing No. 14 Kansas State its first home loss of the season 79-62 Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.

Behind eight more made 3-pointers than Iowa State and 21 forced turnovers, Baylor women’s basketball extended its winning streak to eight, downing the Cyclones 67-52 Saturday afternoon at the Foster Pavilion.

No. 19 Baylor women’s basketball won their seventh straight game, the longest active streak in the Big 12, taking down Colorado 84-62 Thursday night at the CU Events Center in Boulder. The win keeps the Bears in a two-way tie for first place in the conference with No. 9 TCU.

The 25th-ranked Bears picked up their second ranked win of the year and led for the final 35 minutes of the game. They assisted on 19-of-26 made baskets and shot 50% from the floor as the starting lineup accounted for 70 points.

Baylor women’s basketball rattled off its third straight win Wednesday night, rolling past Houston 92-47 at the Fertitta Center. The Bears’ 45-point victory matches their largest margin of victory over a Big 12 opponent since Feb. 9, 2022.

Behind junior forward Bella Fontleroy’s career-high 29 points and seven 3-point field goals, Baylor women’s basketball shot 61% from long range to down Cincinnati, 98-59, Sunday afternoon at the Foster Pavilion.

Aaronette Vonleh walked into Addition Financial Arena for the final game of a three-game road trip looking for consistency on offense so that Baylor women’s basketball could bounce back from a shaky week. The senior center did just that, tying a season-high with 22 points in a 75-64 win over UCF Wednesday night in Orlando.

Baylor women’s basketball is off to its best start to conference play under head coach Nicki Collen through eight games, but the Bears find themselves needing a pick-me-up when they take on UCF at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.

While outdoor conditions fluctuate around chilly temperatures, Baylor Athletics stayed warm during winter break with a busy schedule. From bowl games to the first meet of the season, now that school is back in session, it’s time to catch up on everything you may have missed since finals.

With nothing to lose, No. 25 Baylor women’s basketball put No. 1 UCLA on the ropes early, but dominant post-play by the Bruins kept them undefeated, taking down the Bears, 72-57, in the inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic Monday afternoon at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs racked up a game-high 21 points and 20 rebounds, while senior center Aaronette Vonleh added 20 points as Baylor women’s basketball knocked off UNLV, 71-63, Sunday afternoon at Foster Pavilion.

While school was out of session for students to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families, Baylor Athletics continued trucking as it feasted. Across four different sports, the Bears combined to go 8-1 during the weeklong vacation. Here’s everything you may have missed in Baylor Athletics over Thanksgiving break.

Baylor women’s basketball sealed third place in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, scoring 40 points in the paint and shooting 58.7% from the floor to knockout Villanova, 73-62, Monday afternoon at Atlantis’ Imperial Arena in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

No. 18 Baylor women’s basketball’s trip to paradise took a sour turn Sunday afternoon as the Bears allowed a 17-point Indiana run in the first quarter that was too much to overcome, eventually falling to the Hoosiers, 73-65, in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal at Atlantis’ Imperial Arena in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

The Bears (3-1) honed in on the defensive side of the ball, where junior forward Bella Fontleroy had a career-high five blocks. Head coach Nicki Collen’s team finished with 23 points off turnovers after forcing 11 steals and swatting away nine shots.

Just three games into the season, junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is having a career year as the team’s leader in points and rebounds. Littlepage-Buggs led all players with 22 points and 11 rebounds as No. 17 Baylor women’s basketball dropped East Texas A&M, 104-55, Thursday night at the Foster Pavilion.

Despite a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter, No. 12 Baylor women’s basketball couldn’t find its footing until too late as the Bears’ comeback effort came up short. Senior guard Jada Walker inspired the charge with a game-leading 24 points as the green and gold fell to Oregon, 76-74, on Sunday night at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.

Junior forward Bella Fontleroy brought down a career-high 14 rebounds, senior guard Jada Walker tied a career-high with 10 assists and junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs knocked down her first two career 3-pointers as No. 12 Baylor women’s basketball rocketed past Incarnate Word, 85-33, on Thursday night at the Foster Pavilion.