Fontleroy, who scored over 1,000 points during her four years with the green and gold, will have an opportunity to prove herself with a training camp deal.
Browsing: Bella Fontleroy
After four years of leading Baylor women’s basketball through a new era, Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs leave behind a lasting imprint on the program. Now with the WNBA Draft approaching, the veteran duo turns its focus to proving their games translate to the next level.
Baylor’s season came to a close Sunday as the Bears struggled to find their rhythm from the opening tip, falling to ACC champion Duke in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. The loss marked the end of a veteran era in Waco.
Baylor women’s basketball has not achieved its previously expected heights so far under head coach Nicki Collen’s tenure. Yet the evolution of the sport has made her job more difficult than ever before.
No. 21 Baylor finished the season with a 5-5 record, including a first-round loss to Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament. Despite the slow finish, the Bears ended up in third place in the conference.
After another 20-win season, No. 21 Baylor heads to Durham, N.C., to open NCAA Tournament play against No. 11 seed Nebraska. With a healthy roster and unfinished business from last March, the Bears are looking to chase a deeper run.
No. 21 Baylor finished the season with a 5-5 record, including a first-round loss to Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament. Despite the slow finish, the Bears ended up in third place in the conference.
In an era defined by roster turnover and uncertainty, Jana Van Gytenbeek, Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs chose to grow together. Four seasons later, they leave as the foundation of a program they helped steady, shape and sustain.
Baylor earned a 26-point win over Kansas State on Monday night to close its regular season home schedule. The Bears finish the campaign 15-2 at Foster Pavilion.
After last season’s razor-thin battles and a shifting power dynamic in the conference, Baylor and TCU meet again with title implications and momentum at stake. Now separated in the standings but still within striking distance, Thursday’s matchup could reshape the Big 12 race.
Locked in a wire-to-wire battle deep into the fourth quarter, No. 15 Baylor women’s basketball edged past Arizona State 67–64 on Saturday night. The Bears closed it out at the line behind late defensive stops and key contributions off the bench.
Behind efficient senior scoring and a late 8–0 run, No. 14 Baylor women’s basketball held off Houston to remain tied atop the Big 12 standings. The Bears shot 52% from the field and leaned on a balanced offensive effort to secure an 82–66 win at home.
After uneven December results, Baylor responded with an undefeated January marked by road wins, roster depth and program milestones. The stretch has reshaped the Bears’ early Big 12 run as conference play takes hold.
No. 14 Baylor meets No. 2 Texas on a neutral floor Sunday, setting up one of December’s biggest in-state showdowns as both teams chase a résumé-defining win before conference play.
Behind a red-hot start and a lineup that produced from top to bottom, No. 14 Baylor powered past Southeastern Louisiana 112–47 in an all-hands performance for the third game of its five-game homestand.
The No. 7-ranked Bears beat Davidson 74-72 in overtime to finish their WBCA showdown trip 1-1.
Baylor’s rim protection kept it close, but Iowa capitalized on a scoreless final five minutes to escape with the win in Orlando as The Bears’ 10 blocks and Scott’s 32 points couldn’t offset the late offensive drought.
Senior forwards led the way for the Bears in a dominant outing, with Bella Fontleroy scoring her 1,000th career point and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs adding a 26-point double-double. The Bears cruised past Le Moyne 99-43 for the Bears’ 24th win in Foster Pavilion.
No. 16 Baylor opened its home slate with a mix of fast offense and stretches of inconsistency, but the Bears found stability in the scoring of Taliah Scott and the steady two-way play of Bella Fontleroy en route to their 33rd straight home-opening win.
Fresh off a statement win over No. 7 Duke in Paris, Baylor women’s basketball looks poised to build on its momentum. With returning stars, key transfers and a growing national spotlight, the Bears are setting the tone for a season built on chemistry and championship ambition.
Redshirt sophomore guard Taliah Scott delivered on her high expectations Monday, leading No. 16 Baylor women’s basketball to an upset win over No. 7 Duke. Scott’s 24 points lifted the Bears to their first top-10 win in almost two years.
Back on the court and back in command, Jana Van Gytenbeek guided a fast-paced Baylor squad that found its rhythm and closed strong, cruising past West Texas A&M 86-46 in its preseason tune-up at Foster Pavilion.
Even after graduating six seniors, Baylor women’s basketball opens the season with experience at its core. Four-year veterans are carrying the culture and expectations that head coach Nicki Collen believes will define the program.
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).
Reaching the program’s 21st consecutive tournament appearance, graduate guard Sarah Andrews and senior guard Jada Walker leaned on leadership and experience to put No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball in a position to succeed in March.
Early on No. 4 Baylor women’s basketball junior forward Bella Fontleroy’s career head coach Nicki Collen quickly identified her unique defensive poise. From taking charges to blocking shots Fontleroy set out at the beginning of the year to strengthen her defensive game and better understand opponent tendencies.

