Women’s Basketball Preview: Conference Opener

Today is the first conference game for the Baylor Bears as they host TCU in the Ferrell Center. A Gold Out game and a major rivalry, what better way to kick off conference?

As far as Baylor is concerned, they will most likely be without forward Aijha Blackwell. Blackwell suffered a lower leg injury earlier this season against SMU. She returned for two games right before Christmas break, but was not active last week against Long Beach State. Kentucky transfer Dree Edwards is also out due to eligibility issues. It looks like she will not be playing this season, but there hasn’t been an official announcement yet.

With Blackwell and Edwards unavailable, Coach Nicki Collen will look to freshmen Bella Fontleroy and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs to contribute down low offensively. The freshmen duo has proved themselves so far this season, earning three Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards between the two. Sarah Andrews will also be a major contributor as conference kicks up. Andrews has had a stellar nonconference performance, including her first career double-double in last week’s game against Long Beach State.

TCU currently sits at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, but they still boast a 6-5 record. The Horned Frog team has a lot of new faces this year, with six transfers. These new transfers make up the majority of the starting five for the Frogs, headlined by grad transfer Tomi Taiwo. Taiwo is an Iowa transfer that currently leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.

Overall, TCU is averaging 62 points per game so far this season, compared to Baylor’s average of 76.4. TCU has a bit of an advantage in height, with their starting guards all listed at 5’10 or better. Despite the height disadvantage, Baylor’s aggressive and persistent defense is sure to keep the Horned Frogs contained. Baylor has not lost to TCU in women’s basketball since 1991, and I don’t foresee that changing today.

Get to the Ferrell Center today at 2PM and get loud to support the Bears! If you aren’t able to make the trip to Waco, be sure to tune in on ESPN+ and watch the action. Sic TCU!