Oklahoma City — The Big 12 women’s basketball landscape that long revolved around Baylor has evolved into a more crowded field, with Oklahoma State tabbed as the preseason favorite heading into the 2026-27 season.
conference balance changing
For much of the past two decades, Baylor stood as the conference standard-bearer, winning three national championships under Kim Mulkey and remaining prominent under her successor, Nicki Collen. This offseason, though, league writers and coaches pointed to a broader distribution of top programs across the conference.
- Oklahoma State enters the season as the preseason choice to win the Big 12.
- TCU won the last two regular-season titles and remains a contender.
- West Virginia is the reigning Big 12 Tournament champion and figures to be competitive.
recent results and expectations
TCU’s consecutive regular-season crowns and West Virginia’s tournament title illustrate the parity emerging in the league. Baylor, while still a nationally recognized program, now faces more consistent challenges for conference supremacy than in previous eras.
The preseason positioning reflects roster moves, transfers and recruiting across the conference that have redistributed talent. Oklahoma State’s designation as favorite came after offseason evaluations that weighed returning players, incoming transfers and coaching continuity.
what to watch this season
Conference race markers include nonconference results, early Big 12 matchups and how teams integrate transfers and newcomers. The regular season will determine automatic and at-large paths to the NCAA tournament, where Big 12 teams will seek to translate conference success into national postseason runs.
Key dates for the conference slate and the NCAA tournament field will be announced by the league and the NCAA as the season progresses.
