By Okon Ekpenyong with On The Move with SportzKelz

The Big 12 Conference last won the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball title in 2019 when current LSU Coach Kim ran the show at Baylor and helped the team win a title in 2005, 2012, and 2019. Although long overdue, the conference continues to make its mark on the national women’s college basketball scene, with four teams ranked in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll.

During the 2023-2024 season, seven teams—Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, and postseason—made it to the postseason, showcasing their talent in March Madness. In the 2024-2025 season, Oklahoma and Texas moved to the Southeastern Conference, creating opportunities for newcomers like TCU, Utah, and Colorado to make their mark.

TCU holds steady at No. 9, while K-State rises to No. 11. West Virginia checks in at No. 21, and Oklahoma State enters the rankings at No. 24. Baylor and Utah also received votes. Individual players are also making their mark on the national stage. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, K-State’s Ayoka Lee, TCU’s Sedona Prince and Hailey Van Lith, and West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly are all in contention for the Wooden Award Midseason top 25 list. TCU is one of only five teams nationally with two players on the list. The Wooden Award is one of the most prestigious individual honors in college basketball, given to the most outstanding player in the country.

The Big 12 has a strong slate of games scheduled for Week 13, with five national broadcasts on the docket. On Thursday, K-State defeated Iowa State 87-79; Arizona will play Utah today. Saturday’s top-25 showdown, #21 West Virginia will face #24 for a must-watch, while Sunday’s games feature Iowa State will face #9 TCU and Colorado will face.

Utah’s Gianna Kneepkens and BYU’s Delaney Gibb took home weekly Big 12 women’s basketball honors after impressive performances in Week 12. Kneepkens is the first Utah player to win the award, while Gibb earned her fifth Freshman of the Week title.

TCU’s Hailey Van Lith was recognized as the USA Basketball 3×3 Female Athlete of the Year, a testament to her exceptional skills on the court. The decision to transfer from LSU to TCU has proven to be a winner for both parties. Although her time at LSU was successful, experts noted that with the team’s abundance of talent, she often felt like a fifth wheel. Previously, she was the go-to player when the games were on the line at Louisville under Coach Jeff Walz, helping the team reach the Elite Eight in 2021, the Final Four in 2022, and another Elite Eight in 2023 before transferring.

Hailey Van Lith averages over 18 points per game, which makes her an exceptional scorer, which everybody is used to seeing her doing during her time at Louisville. But she is now a vital part of the TCU offense as its point guard. Besides her scoring ability, she can run the offense and lead the team in steals, demonstrating her leadership and experience, which have stabilized the lineup.

Her presence alone, plus the coaching, has helped the team remain calm under pressure and perform hard on both ends of the floor. She has undoubtedly contributed to boosting the program’s power rankings and has attracted the attention of potential transfers and top recruits in high school who are now considering TCU.

The conference will improve in the 2025-2026 season, especially with a strong pipeline of talent signing to the Big 12 teams like Cincinnati’s Darianna Alexander, Kansas’ Jaliya Davis, and K-State’s Jordan Speiser. All three players will play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, a testament to the conference’s ability to attract top talent.

Right now, six teams are in the top 30 based on recent NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings, a key metric used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate teams for the NCAA Tournament. K-State leads the way at No. 7. The conference’s top 30 NET teams have a combined 46-19 record against the top 100 NET teams, demonstrating its strength and depth.

The Big 12 Conference has a rich history of success in women’s basketball, having won four NCAA Division 1 championships. Former Baylor coach Kim Mulkey led the Bears to three titles in 2005, 2012, and 2019. Texas A&M, formerly a member of the Big 12, won the conference’s fourth championship before departing for the Southeastern Conference.

Kansas State continues to prove it is a contender, and TCU and Oklahoma State want to make their mark this year. Additionally, with its new leadership, Baylor remains a team to watch closely. Newcomers to the conference Utah, Colorado, Cincinnati, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, and UCF also want to make their mark and help provide guiding lights for the conference in the NCAA Tournament in years to come.

With its talented players, strong teams, and commitment to excellence, the Big 12 Conference is poised to impact the national stage significantly. As the season heats up, fans can expect exciting matchups, outstanding individual performances, and a conference that will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in March Madness.

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