Baylor women’s basketball gets its first live tune-up of the season on Sunday, when the Bears host West Texas A&M in a preseason exhibition at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and admission is free to the public. The game will not be streamed live, but fans can still follow along through the Baylor Sports Media Network on the Baylor Athletics YouTube page, where Derek Smith and Lori Fogleman will have the call.
The exhibition comes just before Baylor officially begins the regular season at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Bears enter the year receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today preseason polls and were picked third by Big 12 coaches.
Baylor brings back one of the league’s most dangerous scorers in Taliah Scott, a unanimous All-Big 12 preseason selection after ranking second in the conference with 19.7 points per game last season. Kyla Abraham returns for a fifth season, making her one of only two players in the Big 12 to spend all five years of eligibility with the same program.
The roster also includes familiar faces in Ella Brow and Marcayla Johnson, both back for their second seasons in Waco, along with juniors Ines Goryanova and Kayla Nelms, who are entering their third year.
Nicki Collen also has a sizable wave of newcomers to work into the mix. Baylor adds Tianna Thompson from Ole Miss, Trinity Turner from Georgia and Kate Koval from LSU out of the SEC; Lorena Awou from N.C. State, who enrolled last spring but is now eligible to play for the first time this season; Skylar Jones from Louisville in the ACC; and Reese Ross from Utah.
In Other News...
Baylors Coaching Search Just Got Tied To A Stunning USC Name
Baylors coaching search is already drawing attention beyond Waco, especially with openings piling up around the country and the Bears now part of a wider carousel that also includes NC State. The combination of a disappointing season and a vacant job naturally invites speculation, and one of the biggest names suddenly linked to the discussion is USC coach Lincoln Riley, whose profile makes him impossible to ignore.
Rileys situation at USC has grown more complicated after recent losses, and multiple sources have described his future there as uncertain. A move would not be simple, given the size of his contract, but the mere possibility of Baylor entering the conversation changes the tone of the search and gives this opening a far bigger spotlight than many expected. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor WBB Showed One Encouraging Sign Fans Will Notice Fast
Baylors exhibition win over West Texas A&M offered the kind of early October look that can make a fan base feel a little better about what comes next. The Bears rolled to a 96-56 victory at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, and the most eye-catching part was how often they turned defense into offense. Baylor forced 30 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 37 points, a sharp sign that the pressure and pace were already creating problems for an opponent.
The depth was encouraging, too, with six Baylor players finishing in double figures in a game that never felt especially close. Exhibition results do come with the usual caveats, but this was still the sort of performance that can travel into the regular season if the Bears can keep the same energy and ball pressure. Their official opener arrives Nov. 2 against FDU, giving them a little time to build on a start that clearly showed a few things clicking early. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Next Coaching Hire Carries A Standard Fans Can't Ignore
Baylors football program is back in the market for a new leader after athletic director Doug McNamee announced the dismissal of Dave Aranda following the loss to Kansas. Aranda leaves Waco with an even 40-40 record, a mark that captures both the promise and the frustration of a tenure that never fully settled into the kind of week-to-week consistency the program wanted.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has been elevated to interim head coach for the rest of the season, while McNamee begins the search for a permanent replacement. The standard is clear: Baylor wants a coach who can turn the program into a steadier winner, and the next hire will be judged against that expectation from the start. [Read more 🡒]