NCAAW: With Olivia Miles, will TCU remain at the top of the Big 12?

Four Big 12 teams begin the 2025-26 women’s college basketball season ranked in the top 25: No. 14 Iowa State, No. 16 Baylor, No. 17 TCU and No. 22 Oklahoma State.

It is a bit curious that the conference’s defending regular-season and tournament champs, TCU, is not the highest-ranked Big 12 team, even though they are considered the class of the conference, receiving 10 of 16 first-place votes in the preseason coaches’ poll.

The Horned Frogs, therefore, headline three questions about how things might shake out in the Big 12 in the NCAA season ahead:

Is TCU now THE conference power?

The TCU ascent under head coach Mark Campbell is astounding.

The Horned Frogs won a single conference game in the 2022-23 season. They now are a top-25 fixture, favored to repeat as Big 12 regular-season and tournament champions.

That turnaround has been fueled by transfers, with Campbell convincing some of the nation’s best players to take their talents to TCU. Last year, Hailey Van Lith was Campbell’s big get, with the former Lousiville Cardinal and LSU Tiger experiecing a renaissance fifth-year senior season as she led the Horned Frogs to the best season in program history.

This year, Campbell might have done even better, as Olivia Miles chose to leave Notre Dame NOT for the WNBA, but for Forth Worth. One of the nation’s most talented playmakers who remains atop WNBA draft boards, the senior guard, who was selected as the Big 12 preseason Newcomer of the Year, will assume the controls of a high-octane and analytically-inclined Horned Frog offense.

She’ll be supported by retuning rotational fixtures in senior guard Taylor Bigby and junior guard Donovyn Hunter, both of whom previously made their way to TCU via the portal. The Horned Frogs newer newcomers will round out what should be a balanced roster. Fifth-year senior guard Maddie Scherr transferred into TCU last year after two seasons at Oregon and two at Kentucky. She’ll made her debut after medically redshirting last season due to a back injury, serving as a source of secondary ball handling and outside shooting. Fifth-year senior forward Marta Suarez, likewise, will be asked to bomb away; she’s joining the program after two seasons at Tennessee and Cal, respectively.

However, the most interesting arrival who has the potential to increase the Horned Frogs’ upside is Clara Silva, coming over after a freshman season at Kentucky. With more extended minutes, the 6-foot-7 center can make her mark as a rim protector on defense and target inside for Miles on offense.

What’s in store for Audi Crooks and Iowa State?

Audi Crooks, clearly, has musical talent, but the music that the Big 12 preseason Player of the Year makes on the court is still sweeter.

Crooks has a feathery tone, but even more featherier footwork and touch, which has translated into unstoppably efficient scoring. Last season, she led the conference in scoring with 23.4 points per game, converting a conference-best 60.5 percent of her field goal attempts. She has maintained such effectiveness, despite carrying a heavy load for the Cyclones, leading the conference in usage across both her seasons in Ames. In short, everyone knows the ball is going to Audi, but she’s still going to put it in the basket.

This season, she could be even more dangerous due to the addition of Jada Williams. A celebrated prospect in the class of 2023, Williams arguably disappointed during her two seasons at Arizona. The 5-foot-6 guard has been an inefficient scorer with a barely positive assist-to-turnover ratio. But a fresh start at Iowa State could see her translate her flashes of promise into consistent impact. Williams has expressed excitement about injecting the Cyclones with her energetic two-way play that, combined with sophomore forward Addy Brown, could give Crooks the supporting stars she needs to take Iowa State to the top of the Big 12—and possibly even further.

Which (other) transfers will make the biggest difference?

TCU’s Miles and Iowa State’s Williams aren’t the only transfers in position to tilt the race for the conference’s crowns.

At Baylor, Taliah Scott, similar to Williams, will have the opportunity to remind everyone of her elite talent. The 5-foot-9 guard burst on the scene as a freshman at Arkansas as a big-time bucket getter, averaging over 22 points per game as a fearless shooter and determined driver. After transferring to Auburn, she experienced a lost sophomore season, suiting up for only three games with the Tigers due to a wrist injury.

In Waco, she’ll be expected to fill the scoring guard role vacated by Sarah Andrews, giving head coach Nicki Collen a dynamic guard to complement the frontcourt tandem of seniors Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy.

Up in Stillwater, transfer Haleigh Timmer will enhance Oklahoma State’s strength, adding even more shooting to the high-scoring Cowgirls. Over three seasons at South Dakota, Timmer never shot worse that 37.3 percent from 3. Last season, she launched a career-high 4.4 triples per game, and hit a career-best 41.3 percent of them as she averaged 12.8 points per game. The 5-foot-11 senior can replace Anna Gret Asi as OSU’s third shooter and scorer, joining senior guard Micah Gray and junior guard Stailee Heard. Last year, Gray took eight 3s per game as she averaged 13.7 points, while Heard’s team-best 16.8 points per game came with almost two 3s per game on 41.3 percent shooting from deep.

2025-26 Big 12 preseason coaches’ poll