Behind a 14-5-4 record, top-15 national ranking and five All-Big 12 honors, Baylor delivered its most complete season under Michelle Lenard, powered by depth, veteran leadership and strong wins. It was a year the Bears didn’t just put up numbers — they rebuilt a standard, found their identity and laid a foundation that will carry the program forward for years to come.

Baylor capitalized on a late first-half penalty and leaned on Alvarez’s 11-save effort to edge No. 15 Wisconsin 1-0 in Thursday’s NCAA second round. The Bears survived a late Badger surge, overcoming a 20-10 shot margin to secure their first Sweet 16 berth since 2018.

A point guard duo who finished March Madness stronger than Jada Walker and Jana Van Gytenbeek would be hard to find.

Rooted in an underdog mentality, it was seemingly No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball versus the world. Despite trailing by six at halftime, the Bears hit seven of their next nine shots and had No. 1 seed USC on the ropes. However, Baylor missed its first eight shots in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Trojans to stomp back and end the Bears’ run in the Sweet 16 by a score of 74-70 on Saturday at the Moda Center.

“I feel like there’s no pressure on us,” senior guard Sarah Andrews said. “The pressure is on the other team. We’re the underdogs. We have nothing to lose, but we have a lot to gain.”

Following the second-best start to a season in program history (14-0 start through Jan. 6), No. 5 seed Baylor women’s basketball hit turbulence.. Through a cold streak in which they lost six of their next 10 games, the team stayed positive and rallied back to find itself in the Sweet 16 for the first time under head coach Nicki Collen. Now, the Bears will clash with No. 1 seed USC at 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Moda Center.

The Bears failed to reach at least the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.

The No. 4 Utes will be the No. 21 Bears’ first big test of the season.

No. 15 Baylor volleyball is set to take on Big Ten stalwarts No. 2 University of Wisconsin and No. 7 University of Minnesota for the third year in a row as part of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. This fall’s installment of the annual duel will take place in the Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.

Read from the Lariat Sports Desk, as it ranks the top three on-campus fall sports.

The Bears couldn’t hang with the Huskies for the full 40 minutes, as UConn bested Baylor, 77-58, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Monday night in the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.

The Bears failed to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season after falling to the Bluejays, 85-76, Sunday night in the Ball Arena in Denver.

The Bears will square off with the Bluejays in the round of 32 at 6:10 p.m. on Sunday on TBS in the Ball Arena in Denver.

Seeking its second Sweet 16 appearance in three seasons, No. 6 seed Creighton University will look to dethrone No. 3 seed Baylor men’s basketball. Here are three things Baylor needs to look out for against the Bluejays.

Following No. 1 seed Purdue University’s shocking first round loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson University, 63-58 on Friday, the college basketball world is possibly in the presence of a shift. After one of the greatest David versus Goliath stories in sports history, the question remains: Is this a trend?

Whether or not Baylor women’s basketball is winning or losing, junior guard Sarah Andrews keeps a smile on her face at all times.