November 2, 2024 

2024-25 Big 12 preview

Loaded rosters put new-look Big 12 front and center in women's basketball conversations

The Big 12 Conference has had its share of changes in the last several years. But now, with a robust 16 members, it is poised to showcase some of the best in women’s basketball. It brings back a past member, spans multiple time zones, hosts intense interstate rivalries and has some of the best women’s basketball fan bases in the nation.

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One of the reasons this league is so tough is because there is not just one style to prepare for on the floor. Every night in the Big 12 will bring new challenges for coaches. The conference is stacked with veteran players and outstanding coaches, all aiming for the regular-season title and a chance to win a tournament title at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, come March.


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Last season, the current Big 12 members combined to go 8-0 in their first game of the NCAA Tournament, and two teams (Baylor and Colorado) advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, four teams were named in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll.

The 2024-25 conference preseason poll, voted on by the Big 12 head coaches, was released on Oct. 3. Four teams received first-place votes: Kansas State (7), Iowa State (6), Baylor (2) and West Virginia (1). In addition, the top nine teams each received over 100 points in the voting process.

Is this poll a prediction of what is to come? It can serve as a measuring stick to see who can compete at the highest level, but more than likely, the results in March won’t match what we see today. Teams will play a grueling 18-game schedule, which includes playing three opponents home and away, hosting six teams only at home, and playing six opponents only on the road.

Are there buzzer-beaters in our future? Most definitely. Are we in for overtime battles? No doubt about it. Will there be upsets? Absolutely.

Welcome to The Next’s 2024-25 Big 12 preview. The teams and destinations are different than last year, but there is one thing we can count on, and that’s to expect the unexpected.

The order of teams in this preview reflects the preseason coaches’ poll. Read about them all or skip to your favorite using the links below. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are provided by individual Big 12 teams or the conference.

Kansas State | Iowa State | Baylor | TCU | West Virginia | Utah | Arizona | Kansas | Colorado | Texas Tech | Oklahoma State | BYU | Cincinnati | UCF | Arizona State | Houston


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Kansas State

23-10 overall, 13-5 in Big 12 play in 2023-24 (AP preseason No. 13)

The task in Manhattan, Kansas, is quite simple: Keep Ayoka Lee healthy and on the floor, no matter what. If Kansas State can have the 6’6 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year stay in one piece for the full season, then things get much better for the Wildcats. Lee is one of the best true post players in the nation and not only can score and rebound (19.7 points and 8.6 boards per game last season), but also is a fantastic rim protector. This season presents an opportunity unlike most for the four-time All-Big 12 selection.

“I’ve just had such a great experience here at K-State,” Lee told reporters during Big 12 media days on Oct. 22. “There’s not, I don’t think, a lot of college athletes that can be in my position. And I mean, that’s just the reality of the athletics world we live in is there’s a transfer portal, and just to be wanted back at K-State, and just having the experience I’ve had, it was just a great option.”

Kansas State head coach Jeff Mittie is seated and speaks into a handheld microphone, gesturing with his free hand.
Now in his 11th season at Kansas State, is this the year that head coach Jeff Mittie claims a Big 12 title? (Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

The Wildcats return over 85% of their scoring and 87% of their rebounding from a team that was a No. 4 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. With almost the exact same lineup as last year, what will be the difference?

Senior guard Serena Sundell, an All-Big 12 first-team selection last season, will need to be a more consistent threat from deep and score in the midrange. Fellow senior guards Jaelyn Glenn and Brylee Glenn also need to be more consistent scorers while setting the tone defensively.

Can the scoring of 6’2 forward Temira Poindexter, the 2024 AAC Player of the Year at Tulsa, translate to the Big 12 and K-State’s system? She averaged 21 points per game a season ago. Head coach Jeff Mittie will need her to fill the big hole left by Gabby Gregory, the do-everything guard who played two seasons for the ‘Cats.

The theme is simple for K-State to chase Big 12 titles and NCAA Tournament wins: As Lee goes, so does K-State.

Iowa State

21-12 overall, 12-6 in Big 12 play in 2023-24 (AP preseason No. 8)

A mixture of young guns and veteran leadership put Iowa State right in the middle of the Big 12 race a year ago. That combination returns and then some for this season. When asked at Big 12 media days on Oct. 22 about point guard Emily Ryan, the program’s all-time assist leader, returning for her fifth year, head coach Bill Fennelly said, “Christmas came early.” The Cyclones are now right in the middle of the national conversation and rightly so.

Center Audi Crooks was one of the most efficient players in the nation in her first season, averaging 19.2 points per game and shooting 57.7% from the field. 6’2 forward Addy Brown was ISU’s second-leading scorer for ISU and top rebounder as a freshman, hauling in 8.2 boards per game.

Marquette transfer Mackenzie Hare knocked down 91 3-pointers last season, while junior Lily Hansford shot 45% from behind the arc at Oregon State. Fennelly’s system gives all five on the floor the green light from deep.

How will this team stack up against some of the best in the nation? We will learn a lot in the first two months of the season as the Cyclones face nonconference matchups against the likes of South Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Iowa and UConn. That will most definitely have them battle-tested for the Big 12 race, which begins Dec. 21 at Oklahoma State.

Iowa State center Audi Crooks shoots a right-handed fadeaway jump shot as Texas forward Taylor Jones extends her right arm to contest it.
As a freshman, Iowa State center Audi Crooks (55) shot over 57% from the field and averaged 19.2 points per game. (Photo credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports)

Baylor

26-8 overall, 12-6 in Big 12 play in 2023-24 (AP preseason No. 12)

When a school has a history of success, it sometimes takes time for a coach to add their bricks to the foundation of the program. Baylor head coach Nicki Collen has been doing just that in Waco. The fourth-year head coach has a nucleus of talent back that advanced to the 2024 Sweet 16 and is hungry for more.

“I think we had a really motivated offseason coming off a Sweet 16 run. Also, being so close to an Elite Eight in one possession, I think it motivated us in the offseason,” Collen told reporters at Big 12 media days on Oct. 22.

Guard Sarah Andrews returns for her fifth season as the team’s top scorer (11.4 points per game). She will be joined in the backcourt by senior Jada Walker, who started all 34 games a year ago. Walker’s scoring ability was on display in the NCAA Tournament, when she posted a career-high 28 points in the win over Virginia Tech. 6’1 junior Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is a matchup problem for opponents with her versatility, and 6’3 Colorado transfer Aaronette Vonleh will give the Bears a physical presence inside.

Collen also snagged a top-25 recruiting class (per ESPN.com) that includes 6’1 Florida native Kayla Nelms, a stretch wing with great passing skills who can score.

Baylor will have ample opportunities to see what it’s made of in November, with a trip to Oregon and big matchups at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. It opens Big 12 play on Dec. 21 at Kansas.

TCU

21-12 overall, 6-12 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

The transfer portal was spinning fast and furiously in Fort Worth in the offseason, and a new group of faces is hungry for wins at TCU. In his first season, head coach Mark Campbell weathered a rollercoaster year full of injuries and adversity. When the dust settled, the Horned Frogs showed that Campbell’s pick-and roll-system can produce big results in a hurry.

TCU led the Big 12 in 3-point field goals made (9.5 per game) and is stacked with more shooters heading into this season. Second-team All-Big 12 selection Madison Conner (19.1 points per game) returns and looks to break her TCU single-season record of 100 made threes from last year. 

“This offseason, I definitely was focusing on the pick-and-roll game,” Conner told reporters during Big 12 media days. “I’ve never really came off a pick-and-roll and had to make those reads. I’ve always kind of just been a shooter and just spot-up shots. So that’s something that I really took into account this offseason, just so I can help my team and be a threat besides the 3-point line. And this offense, I mean, it’s everything that a shooter wants.”

Madison Conner shoots a right-handed jump shot as an Army player arrives slightly late to contest it.
While there are many new faces on the TCU roster this season, senior Madison Conner returns as one of the best 3-point shooters in the Big 12. (Photo credit: Sharon Ellman)

Campbell scored a huge portal win by snagging guard Hailey Van Lith, who spent last season at LSU. The Big 12 Preseason Co-Newcomer of the Year averaged 11.6 points per game and is one of many new faces who can be impactful this year. Look for guards Donovyn Hunter (Oregon State), Maddie Scherr (Oregon) and Taylor Bigby (USC), along with forward Deasia Merrill (Georgia State), to be keys to the Horned Frogs’ success.

Campbell also returns 6’7 center Sedona Prince, who had 13 double-doubles a year ago in just 21 games (she missed 12 due to injury).

TCU will be tested with November games against NC State and in the Cayman Islands Classic, along with a December matchup against South Carolina. Its Big 12 slate tips off on Dec. 21 at UCF.

West Virginia

25-8 overall, 12-16 in Big 12 play in 2023-24 (AP preseason No. 16)

While many people were not talking about West Virginia at the start of last season, the Mountaineers were in the middle of every conversation at the end of it. Head coach Mark Kellogg led West Virginia back to the NCAA Tournament and nearly knocked off No. 1-seeded Iowa in the second round.

With Texas no longer in the Big 12, the Mountaineers are the top returning defensive team in the league (allowing 57.8 points per game). They also bring back one of the best backcourts in the conference, led by senior JJ Quinerly. Quinerly was the 2024 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and poured in 19.8 points per game last year.

Junior Jordan Harrison made an immediate impact in her first season in the Big 12 after transferring from Stephen F. Austin, averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 assists per game.

Kellogg, now in his second season in Morgantown, has experienced returners and some new faces to go along with his dynamic guard duo. “We have balance and depth now. We’re much deeper than we were a year ago,” he told reporters during Big 12 media days.

West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly dribbles the ball away from two Iowa players with her left hand.
West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly (11), one of the most dynamic guards in the conference, returns for her senior year as the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. (Photo credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

6’3 forward Kylee Blacksten and 5’10 Kyah Watson, one of the most versatile small forwards in the league, are back along with 6’4 Danelle Arigbabu. Junior transfer Sydney Shaw started 25 games a year ago at Auburn and was the team’s second-leading 3-point shooter. Long Beach State transfer Sydney Woodley racked up over 100 steals last season and adds to the backcourt depth.

Nonconference duels against Texas A&M and at the Gulf Coast Showcase will get West Virginia ready to tip Big 12 play at Colorado on Dec. 21.


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Utah

23-11 overall, 11-7 in Pac-12 play in 2023-24

When the four new Big 12 teams the Big 12 were announced last year, almost everyone in the women’s basketball sphere was looking at Utah. The Utes have averaged just under 24 wins in the past three seasons, including winning a Pac-12 title two years ago.

There will be no Alissa Pili to anchor head coach Lynne Roberts’ squad this year, but even without the All-American, Utah is up for showing the Big 12 what the identity of its program is

“It’s something that’s taken a few years to really develop and figure out exactly what that is,” senior Jenna Johnson told reporters at Big 12 media days on Oct. 22. Johnson shot over 50% from the field and hit double figures 13 times last season.

“But how I define it is just a hard-nosed, hardworking group of kind of blue-collar girls. I know we kind of take after our football team in a way with that. And how we play, you see our assist numbers and our efficient offense — we play for each other. As you guys watch us, you’ll see that for sure.”

Junior Gianna Kneepkens, a preseason All-Big 12 selection, is back after missing all but eight games a season ago due to injury. The 6’ guard can score at all three levels and is a 42% career 3-point shooter. Senior Kennady McQueen returns after having the best season of her career statistically, averaging 10.7 points per game in over 30 minutes per game.

Two 6’3 transfers, Chyra Evans from Michigan and Mayé Touré from Rhode Island, will help give Roberts’ system a boost on both ends. Utah held teams to 62 points per game last season and will need that high-level defensive effort in the Big 12.

November matchups in the Cayman Island Classic against Mississippi State and Notre Dame will be ones to watch, as well as a Dec. 8 home game against Princeton. Big 12 play commences on Dec. 21 against Arizona State.

Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens dribbles the ball on the perimeter with her left hand, using her body and her right arm to fend off an Idaho defender.
Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens (5) missed all but eight games last season, but she’s back and ready to lead the Utes in their first season of Big 12 action. (Photo credit: Hunter Dyke/Utah Athletics)

Arizona

18-16 overall, 8-10 in Pac-12 play in 2023-24

In its final season in the Pac-12, Arizona played through injuries to numerous players that left the heavy lifting to a core group of young players. Fast forward to 2024-25 and a new home in the Big 12, and the Wildcats have players that may be sophomores on paper, but their coach expects much more.

“They were thrown into the fire because of the injuries, and I think about all the experience they got,” head coach Adia Barnes told reporters during Big 12 media days. “We played the most overtime games in the country last year. We didn’t always come on the great end of that or the winning end of that, but we gained tremendous experience. So I think that them being sophomores, we’re gonna play more like juniors.”

Arizona head coach Adia Barnes is shown in profile, speaking into a handheld microphone that has the Big 12 and ESPN logos on it.
Arizona head coach Adia Barnes is excited to bring her young and hungry Wildcats to the Big 12 this season. (Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

Barnes and company will look to sophomore guards Jada Williams (9.5 points per game) and Skylar Jones (15 starts last season) to give their backcourt a boost, while 6’4 forward Breya Cunningham had 32 starts a year ago and shot 52% from the field.

Seven new players dot the Arizona roster, including 5’7 guard Lauren Swan, a top-100 recruit in the class of 2024 (per ESPN.com), and Pepperdine transfer Jorynn Ross, a 6’3 forward and WCC All-Freshman Team selection.

Will the Wildcats have enough firepower offensively to compete in the Big 12 and secure their fifth straight NCAA Tournament bid? Only 41% of their scoring is back from a team that averaged just under 70 points per game, but Barnes is confident. Early tests against UNLV and over the Thanksgiving break will give her a true look at this team. The Wildcats go on the road to open Big 12 play at BYU on Dec. 21.

Kansas

20-13 overall, 11-7 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

If you watched Kansas last season, you saw a team that had a previous taste of the NCAA Tournament and wanted desperately to get back. The Jayhawks did what they needed to do for an at-large bid and made the most of it, winning an electric overtime game against Michigan as the No. 8 seed to advance to the round of 32.

But head coach Brandon Schnieder no longer has his “super seniors” to rely on to make a repeat trip to the Big Dance. Instead, a core of returners and eight new players will take KU into this season.

Sophomore S’Mya Nichols had a breakout freshman season and was named first-team All-Big 12. The 6’ guard averaged 15.4 points per game (the highest for a freshman in program history) but will be asked to do even more this year.

Fifth-year senior point guard Wyvette Mayberry will direct the backcourt, while 6’4 centers Nadira Eltayeb and Danai Papadopoulou must give quality minutes in the frontcourt.

Key transfers for the Jayhawks include 6’3 junior Elle Evans (North Dakota State), who shot 46% from behind the arc last season, and Wisconsin transfer Sania Copeland, a 5’7 junior guard who adds more depth to the rotation. True freshman Regan Williams, a 6’3 forward from Kansas City, Missouri, is poised for minutes early and often.

KU will spar with Iowa and Penn State in the nonconference and play three challenging games at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam in November. Its Big 12 slate kicks off on Dec. 21 at BYU.

Kansas guard S'Mya Nichols dribbles the ball with her right hand near midcourt. Her eyes are up as she scans the court.
Kansas guard S’Mya Nichols had a phenomenal freshman campaign in Lawrence and will be the centerpiece during the 2024-25 season. (Photo credit: KU Athletics)

Colorado

24-10 overall, 11-7 in Pac-12 play in 2023-24

Now in her ninth season as Colorado’s head coach, JR Payne has climbed many mountains to get the Buffaloes back on the national map. Last March, the Buffs knocked off their future Big 12 foe K-State on the way to their second straight NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.

Payne is now looking at a roster that is very different from a year ago but has many key pieces that can make the Buffs a Big 12 contender. 5’11 graduate student Frida Formann (12.5 points per game) returns for her final season in Boulder, coming off a year where she set the program’s single-season record with 83 made 3-pointers. Senior guard Kindyll Wetta, who averaged career highs in points and assists a year ago, will be one of Payne’s primary ballhandlers.

Look for Big 12 transfers Lior Garzon (Oklahoma State) and Nyamer Dew (Iowa State) to give the Buffs much-needed depth. And everyone in the league will have their eyes on the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, 6’2 forward Tabitha Betson. The Australia native was the No. 48 player in the class of 2024 (per ESPN.com) and has an all-around game that will help the Buffs on both ends.

Colorado likes to play fast offensively and will defend at a very high level. Last season, it held teams to 64.3 points per game and averaged over 10 steals per game. The nonconference slate includes a tough road trip to Wyoming on Nov. 4 and a tussle with Louisville at home in late November. The Buffs get back to their roots of Big 12 action when they host West Virginia on Dec. 21.

Texas Tech

17-16 overall, 5-13 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

Expectations continue to rise in Lubbock, and head coach Krista Gerlich is not shying away from the challenge. A year ago, Texas Tech dealt with injuries throughout the year, but the adversity gave many players a chance to show what they can do in the Big 12. With over 81% of her scoring returning this season, Gerlich is looking for the program to take big strides in 2024-25.

“I believe we’re returning our top six scorers. And to be honest, that’s pretty rare in this day and age,” she said during Big 12 media days on Oct. 22. “So we have a really great group of returners that understand the assignment, and we’ve added some kids that are hungry to prove themselves on a different stage.” 

Texas Tech junior guard Bailey Maupin shoots a right-handed jump shot as a defender jumps to contest it.
Texas Tech junior guard Bailey Maupin (20) leads a group of returners who are ready to make a move to the top of the Big 12 this season. (Photo credit: Big 12 Conference)

Junior guards Jasmine Shavers and Bailey Maupin, both 2024 All-Big 12 honorable mention selections, are the top two returning scorers for the Lady Raiders. 6’3 forward Jordyn Merritt, a native of Plano, Texas, led the team in rebounding (5.6 per game) and added 8.1 points per game in her first season for Texas Tech.

Seven newcomers give Gerlich depth at key positions, including two players with Big 12 experience in 6’2 forward Jalynn Bristow (Iowa State) and 5’11 guard Denae Fritz (Baylor). Lubbock native Adlee Blacklock, a 6’ junior transfer from Oregon State, will bring another 3-point threat to the floor.

The Lady Raiders will host their first six games, including a tussle with Washington State, and then it’s on to the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam for three tough games. They will look to start the Big 12 season with a bang on Dec. 22 at home against Houston.


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Oklahoma State

14-16 overall, 7-11 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

Expectations were high a season ago in Stillwater, fresh off a NCAA Tournament appearance, but the 2023-24 season was unlike any other for head coach Jacie Hoyt. Oklahoma State was snakebitten by a rash of injuries, many season-ending, and a handful of tough losses down the stretch. Now, a renewed energy is sweeping over Cowgirl basketball, and Hoyt is happy to have depth for the upcoming season.

Eight newcomers dot the roster, including 6’1 forward Stacie Jones from Mercer and junior guard Micah Gray from Seton Hall. 5’6 freshman guard Jadyn Wooten, a top-100 recruit (per ESPN.com), will give Hoyt another quick scoring guard out front.

The Cowgirls return under 50% of their scoring from a season ago, but two returners will anchor the backcourt. Senior Anna Gret Asi, a 5’8 sharpshooter, averaged just shy of 13 points per game and led the team in assists. Sophomore Stailee Heard, an All-Big 12 Freshman Team selection last season, will be a focus for opposing defenses. The 5’11 guard started every game as a freshman and averaged 12.9 points per game.

The pace will be fast and furious on offense again for the Cowgirls, but a continued focus on defense and rebounding will be key to success this season. Nonconference challenges include home games against Oral Roberts and Fairfield and a test against Arkansas over the Thanksgiving break. Big 12 action will tip off in Stillwater on Dec. 21 against Iowa State.

BYU

16-17 overall, 6-12 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

If the first two seasons as the head coach at her alma mater felt bumpy, Amber Whiting is looking for Year 3 at the helm of BYU to be much smoother. There is no Lauren Gustin in the post for the Cougars, but Whiting knows what is needed now to compete in the Big 12.

“First and foremost, we learned how we need to recruit in this conference,” she told reporters at Big 12 media days on Oct. 22. “This conference is bigger, faster and stronger than we had experienced, so we needed to get in the weight room, and we also wanted to revamp the way we play. We turned the offense over to [associate head coach Lee Cummard] and are just letting him roll with it. We are going to play a little bit faster and shoot more threes.”

BYU head coach Amber Whiting smiles as she holds a microphone and takes questions during Big 12 media days.
While last season was eye-opening for BYU head coach Amber Whiting, the Cougars are prepared for Year 2 in the Big 12.
(Photo credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

Leading the charge for the Cougars will be sophomore Amari Whiting, daughter of the head coach. The 5’10 guard averaged just shy of 11 points per game a year ago and led BYU in assists. Senior guard Lauren Davenport (a 35% shooter from behind the arc) returns, 6’4 senior Emma Calvert will anchor the paint, and 5’9 sharpshooting guard Arielle Mackey-Williams is also back after missing last season with a knee injury.

Nine newcomers round out Whiting’s roster, including key transfer portal pickups in guard Kemery Congdon (Cal) and forward Hattie Ogden (Buffalo). Look out for freshman Delaney Gibb to challenge for big minutes. The 5’10 guard from Alberta, Canada, has international experience and was a top-100 recruit (per ESPN.com).

Whiting wants to win with defense — last season, the Cougars held teams to under 40% shooting from the field. They will learn a lot about themselves with trips to the Cancun Challenge to face Rice and Iowa in November and to Washington State in December. They tip off Season 2 in the Big 12 at home on Dec. 21 against Arizona.

Cincinnati

14-18 overall, 5-13 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

Small steps forward a season ago for everyone associated with Cincinnati women’s basketball have turned into big opportunities heading into the 2024-25 season. Second-year head coach Katrina Merriweather returns nine players this season and will put a veteran group on the floor in Big 12 play.

Fifth-year senior Jillian Hayes, an All-Big 12 honorable mention selection last season, has been the Bearcats’ top scorer the last three seasons. A year ago, she averaged 12.9 points per game and led the team in rebounding as well with 8.4 boards per game. Junior A’riel Jackson started 23 games last year and chipped in just shy of 10 points per game.

Merriweather and her staff addressed a big need in the transfer portal — a point guard. 5’7 senior Tineya Hylton arrives from Texas A&M, where she was second on the team in assists last season. The Bearcats know they must value the basketball more; they were last in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and assists a year ago.

Cincinnati opens the regular season on the road at UIC on Nov. 5 but has seven nonconference games at home to build confidence for the gauntlet of the Big 12. It will be tested right out of the gate in Big 12 play at Kansas State on Dec. 22.

UCF

12-17 overall, 3-15 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

Putting the puzzle pieces together for a program is never easy, and definitely not smack in the middle of the Big 12 grind. Drawing on her previous experience of coaching in the Big 12, UCF head coach Sytia Messer knows how just a few new talents can impact her team heading into the 2024-25 season.

The best puzzle piece is the return of senior Kaitlin Peterson, the Big 12’s top scorer a season ago. The 5’9 guard averaged 20.7 points per game in her first year at UCF (after transferring from Indiana) and was the only player in the Big 12 with six 30-point performances. Sophomore forward Achol Akot showcased her athleticism as a defender and rebounder as a freshman, and 5’10 senior guard Laila Jewett is back after starting every game last season and leading the Knights in assists.

Messer also went to the portal and bolstered her post game with 6’5 center Hannah Gusters, who averaged 14.3 points per game last year at Oklahoma State. Guards Nevaeh Brown (ETSU) and Ally Stedman (Miami) will give UCF additional deep threats.

Eight of UCF’s 11 nonconference games will be played in sunny Orlando, with hopes of fitting all the puzzle pieces in the right spots. The Knights will open Big 12 play at home against TCU on Dec. 21.

UCF guard Kaitlin Peterson holds the ball with two hands on the perimeter. Her eyes are up as she surveys her options.
UCF guard Kaitlin Peterson (3), the top scorer in the Big 12 a year ago, will be at the top of every scouting report this season. (Photo credit: Big 12 Conference)

Arizona State

11-20 overall, 3-15 in Pac-12 play in 2023-24

When Natasha Adair looked down her Arizona State bench in her first two seasons, she saw fewer than eight healthy players available. Now, heading into Year 3 and the Sun Devils’ first season in the Big 12, she finally has depth on her roster, and it includes veteran experience, size and players hungry for competition.

Adair has just 45% of her scoring and rebounding returning for 2024-25, but she does have junior guard Jalyn Brown back, an All-Pac-12 honorable mention performer a year ago who averaged 19.6 points per game in conference play. Also returning after missing last season due to injury is 5’5 guard Tyi Skinner, who will be a key piece of the ASU backcourt for Adair.

Eight newcomers (seven transfers and one freshman) will be asked to contribute immediately. Junior guard Makayla Moore averaged 11.3 points per game last season at Seattle University, and 6’3 center Nevaeh Parkinson shot 54% from the field at UC-Irvine. 6’7 forward Kennedy Basham, an Oregon transfer and Phoenix native, gives ASU versatility and size to score and anchor the tough defense Adair wants to play. 

“We all have the same goals,” Basham told reporters on Oct. 22 at Big 12 media days. “We all want to win. We all have that grit that — we’re starving. We all have that chip on our shoulder. So I feel like it’s just such a competitive team, and I feel like all our goals align, along with the coaches and the players.”

The Sun Devils will face off against the likes of SMU, Oregon State and Kentucky in the nonconference before they open Big 12 play at familiar foe Utah on Dec. 21.


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Houston

14-16 overall, 5-13 in Big 12 play in 2023-24

Houston head coach Ronald Hughey knew Year 1 in the Big 12 was going to be a transition. The Cougars competed with the intensity that they had been known for in the American Athletic Conference, and now they’re looking to build on small successes.

Hughey and his staff went hard into the portal to find players who are the right fit and can hold their own at the Big 12 level.

“We were very, very fortunate to be able to get some players that came from some places, that have postseason experience, that played a lot of minutes and were impact players where they were,” Hughey told reporters at Big 12 media days on Oct. 22. “And so now they have an opportunity to bring that and put the red on for Houston, and now we can be able to see how we measure up having those kinds of players on the floor.”

Houston guard Laila Blair dribbles just inside the 3-point line with her left hand.
While there are many new names on the Houston roster for the 2024-25 season, one that’s familiar to everyone in the Big 12 is 5’8 guard Laila Blair (14). (Photo credit: Big 12 Conference)

Houston returns guard Laila Blair, a 5’8 graduate student, who led the team in scoring a year ago at 15.9 points per game. 6’4 senior center Peyton McFarland is back after averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game and leading the Cougars in rebounding last season.

Into the mix come six transfers, including 6’2 sophomore Kiera Edmonds (Wagner), 6’1 guard Eylia Love (Louisville) and 5’7 guard Ashley Chevalier (Texas Tech). Defensively, Houston was one of the best in the league last season, ranking second in steals per game (11.1) and in the top three in turnover margin (5.7 per game).

This new-look roster will have a chance to get comfortable, playing four of its first five nonconference games at home. Circled on the slate is a Nov. 29 matchup with Minnesota in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Cougars open Big 12 play at Texas Tech on Dec. 22.

Written by Missy Heidrick

I am a retired Kansas State shooting guard and spent almost 20 years working in Higher Education and Division 1 athletics. I am currently a basketball analyst for television and radio, contributing correspondent at The Next, Locked on Women's Basketball podcast host, WBB Naismith Award board of selectors member and run my own consulting business. I am a proud mother of two and wife to a patient husband who is almost as big of a sports junkie as I am!

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