Michael VoepelFeb 11, 2026, 08:30 AM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XMultiple Authors
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Game Highlights (1:15)TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Game Highlights (1:15)
Big 12 women’s basketball has gone through a major identity shift in the past three years, with eight new members since 2023 and the departure of league powers Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024.
Baylor dominated the Big 12 from 2011 to 2022, winning or sharing every regular-season title and claiming all but one conference tournament championship. Coach Kim Mulkey’s departure from Baylor to LSU in the spring of 2021 altered that dynamic.
Now in her fifth season in Waco, Texas, Nicki Collen has more firmly established her own program at Baylor. The Bears sit atop the Big 12 standings at 10-2 and are seeking their first regular-season title since last winning its 12th consecutive crown in 2022. Baylor has climbed to No. 11 in ESPN’s women’s college basketball Power Rankings this week, while fellow Big 12 teams West Virginia and Texas Tech have returned to the rankings.
TCU fell out after being upset by Colorado on Sunday. However, the Horned Frogs have a chance to get right back in next week if they can prevail in two high-stakes games.
The first of the season’s two TCU-Baylor matchups is Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Waco. And Sunday will mark the second meeting between TCU and West Virginia, in Fort Worth, Texas; the Frogs won the previous meeting 51-50 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer on Jan. 14 in Morgantown.
This week’s outcomes could help show who is clearly in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 regular-season title. Or it could create even more of a logjam at the top of the league’s standings.
It’s no surprise to see Baylor and TCU vying for conference supremacy again. TCU finished first and Baylor second last season, then the Frogs beat the Bears in the Big 12 tournament title game. West Virginia also was expected to be in the championship mix this season. Texas Tech, though, has been an unexpected contender.
The Huskies dismantled DePaul 86-40 last Wednesday behind 25 points from guard Azzi Fudd. She led the way again with 17 points in Saturday’s 80-48 win over Butler. UConn scoring and rebounding leader Sarah Strong did not play (rest) against the Bulldogs, and fellow forward Blanca Quiñonez missed her fourth consecutive game (shoulder). However, the Huskies are so far ahead of the rest of the Big East, those absences made no difference in their dominance.
After racing past Rutgers 86-46 last Wednesday, the Bruins had a scare from Michigan on Sunday but eventually escaped Ann Arbor with a 69-66 decision to extend their winning streak to 17 games. It was UCLA’s first close call since a seven-point victory at Ohio State on Dec. 28. Guard Kiki Rice led the scoring in both games, combining for 37 points for the Bruins, who now have a two-game lead atop the Big Ten.
LSU’s seven-game winning streak ended with Thursday’s 77-64 loss at Texas, just the second time this season the Tigers have been held below 70 points. They came back with a strong defensive performance in Sunday’s 77-44 win at Auburn, however. While the SEC regular-season title might be out of reach for LSU with three league losses already, the Tigers still have plenty of motivation for Saturday’s showdown against the Gamecocks in Baton Rouge.
Coaches often say there are no so-called moral victories. But with the Wolverines, consider that three of their four losses have been to top-five teams by three points: 72-69 to UConn on Nov. 21, 72-69 to Vanderbilt on Jan. 19 and 69-66 to UCLA on Sunday. The Wolverines — who also beat Nebraska 88-76 last week — have played well against some of the best teams in the country, and that should help come NCAA tournament time.
The Buckeyes have won 11 of their past 12 outings, including on the road last week against Washington (70-60) and Oregon (80-64). Sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge tallied a combined 45 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the victories. Sophomore center Elsa Lemmilä had her best game of the campaign against Ducks with 23 points and nine rebounds.
The Blue Devils won Thursday’s marquee ACC battle at Louisville 59-58. They followed up with a 95-36 drubbing of visiting SMU on Sunday to extend their winning streak to 15 games. Forward Toby Fournier led the Blue Devils in scoring both games with a combined 41 points. At 13-0, Duke leads the ACC by one game over Louisville, but the Blue Devils still must face their Triangle rivals North Carolina (twice) and NC State.
Baylor had to battle in two close victories last week: 76-70 at Cincinnati and 67-64 against visiting Arizona State. The Bears have won 10 of their past 11, with the loss coming at West Virginia on Feb. 1. Baylor leads Division I in opponents’ 3-point rate (23.2%). And it has one of the top scorers across the Power 4 conferences in guard Taliah Scott (20.3 points per game) and one of the top rebounders in forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (10.8 per game).
The Mountaineers have won six of their past seven, with victories last week at Colorado (61-55) and against visiting Arizona (87-68). West Virginia has long been known for its pesky defense and grind-it-out style. But if the Mountaineers finish at their current 76.8 PPG, it would be the program’s second-highest average behind the 82.4 PPG in 1991-92.
Texas Tech beat Houston (85-61) and Kansas (70-65) this past week, and it is 4-3 since starting the campaign 19-0. Now 10-3 in the Big 12, the Lady Raiders remain in contention for their first regular-season league championship since 2000, when they shared the title with Iowa State and Oklahoma.
The Rebels lost their only game last week, 64-63 at Alabama on Thursday, despite 22 points, six rebounds and five assists from senior star Cotie McMahon. Ole Miss is sixth in the SEC, but four of its remaining seven foes are ranked, including South Carolina and LSU.
The Sooners didn’t play badly in their 78-70 defeat at Texas on Feb. 1, which made Monday’s 102-86 loss at Vanderbilt more disappointing. Despite a week to prepare, Oklahoma’s defense couldn’t slow down Vandy’s guards, who dominated the contest. On the bright side, five of the Sooners’ six losses have been to teams ranked No. 6 or better at the time (UCLA, Kentucky, LSU, Texas, Vanderbilt), and the other was to then-No. 18 Ole Miss. There are no easy games in the SEC, but just two of the Sooners’ final six foes are ranked.
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Game Highlights (1:15)TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Game Highlights (1:15)
Michael VoepelFeb 11, 2026, 08:30 AM ETCloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.Follow on X
Next seven days: @ Vanderbilt (Feb. 12), @ Tennessee (Feb. 15)
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Colorado Buffaloes: Game Highlights (1:15)
Next seven days: vs. Creighton (Feb. 11), @ Marquette (Feb. 14)
Next seven days: @ Michigan State (Feb. 11), vs. Indiana (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. Texas (Feb. 12), @ Georgia (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: @ Northwestern (Feb. 12), vs. Michigan State (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. Wake Forest (Feb. 12), vs. Florida State (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. TCU (Feb. 12), @ UCF (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. Florida (Feb. 12), @ Alabama (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. UCF (Feb. 11), @ TCU (Feb. 15)
Next seven days: vs. Arkansas (Feb. 12), @ Kentucky (Feb. 15), vs. Tennessee (Feb. 17)
Next seven days: vs. UCLA (Feb. 11), @ Michigan (Feb. 15)