Baylor Women’s Hoops Returns to Waco Riding Momentum, Defense, and a Historic Win Streak
The Baylor Bears are back in Waco and ready to put on a show, opening a two-game home stretch with a nationally televised clash against Arizona State on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.
You can catch the action on FS1 or through the Baylor Sports Media Network. And if recent history is any indication, the Bears have to like their chances.
This will be the sixth meeting between Baylor and Arizona State, and so far, it’s been all green and gold. Baylor has taken every matchup in the series, including last year’s win in Tempe during Arizona State’s Big 12 debut season. But this isn’t just about history-it’s about a Baylor team that’s firing on all cylinders in 2026.
Elite Defense, Especially from Deep
The Bears have built their identity this season around suffocating perimeter defense. Ranked No. 1 nationally in 3-point defense, Baylor is holding opponents to just 23.3% from beyond the arc.
That number dips even lower in Big 12 play-22.6%. In a league loaded with shooters, that kind of defensive consistency is no accident.
It’s discipline, communication, and a whole lot of hustle.
A Top-15 Team with Big-Time Aspirations
At 20-4 overall and sitting at No. 15 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, Baylor is right in the thick of the national conversation. This marks the 20th consecutive week the Bears have appeared in the AP poll and their 361st appearance over the past two decades. Only UConn has more during that stretch.
Baylor is chasing its 14th Big 12 regular-season title and is currently tied atop the conference standings with TCU at 9-2. Four other teams are within two games, so every matchup from here on out carries serious weight.
Quality Wins and a Strong Resume
The Bears are currently ranked No. 27 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings and have a 3-3 record against Quadrant 1 opponents. Their signature win? A statement victory over Duke in Paris to open the season-a game that set the tone for what this team could be.
Bounce-Back Win in Cincinnati
After a tough stretch, Baylor got right back on track with a gritty six-point road win over Cincinnati. Taliah Scott led the way with 26 points, while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs continued her double-double dominance-her 11th of the season-with 10 points and 12 boards.
Jana Van Gytenbeek matched her career high with 19 points, a performance that mirrored her breakout game at Cincinnati last season. The Bears were lethal from deep, draining 12 threes to tie the program’s single-game mark.
Scott and Van Gytenbeek each hit five, and Bella Fontleroy chipped in two more. Baylor finished the game shooting 42.9% from three and 36.5% from the field.
Turnovers were a tale of two halves. Baylor coughed it up eight times in the first 13 minutes but locked in from there, going turnover-free until the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the defense forced 13 Cincinnati turnovers, turning them into 15 points on the other end.
A 20-Win Machine
That win in Cincinnati wasn’t just another notch in the win column-it was Baylor’s 20th of the season, extending a remarkable streak to 26 straight seasons with at least 20 victories. Only UConn has a longer active run, with 33.
Head coach Nicki Collen is making her own history, too. She’s now one of just four coaches in the last 15 seasons to open their Division I head coaching career with five straight 20-win seasons-and only three of those have come at the power-conference level.
Star Power: Scott and Littlepage-Buggs Earn National Recognition
Baylor’s success isn’t just about depth and defense-it’s also about star power. Taliah Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs were both named to the midseason top-10 lists for their respective Naismith Starting Five Awards.
Scott, a top-10 finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, is averaging 20.4 points per game-second among the group, trailing only Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes at 25.6. Her scoring punch has been crucial all year, and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Littlepage-Buggs, a finalist last season for the Katrina McClain Award, is back among the nation’s elite power forwards. She’s one of just two players on this year’s top-10 list averaging a double-double, alongside NC State’s Khamil Pierre. Her presence in the paint-on both ends-has been a game-changer for Baylor all season long.
With two players earning national recognition, Baylor leads the Big 12 in Starting Five selections, outpacing programs like BYU, Iowa State, and TCU, who each have one. Nationally, only South Carolina and UCLA (four each), plus NC State and UConn (three apiece), have more.
Looking Ahead
With Arizona State coming to town and the Big 12 race heating up, Baylor has everything to play for. The defense is elite, the stars are shining, and the Bears are right in the hunt for another conference title and a deep postseason run.
The road ahead won’t be easy, but this Baylor team has the tools, the toughness, and the track record to make some serious noise.