One final round of games this weekend and the Big 12 women’s basketball regular season will be done, and it will be time for the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
We still have a significant weekend of basketball ahead, though. In fact, we have a battle for the top spot in the Big 12 Conference on the final day of the season. The league couldn’t have scripted it better if it had tried.
Kansas State center Ayoka Lee had a clean-up procedure on her injured foot. She did the procedure now so she could be ready for the NCAA Tournament.
Our Heartland College Sports women’s power rankings will come out every Friday until we get to the conference tournament in Kansas City. So, these will be our last power rankings of the regular season. Keep an eye out next week for our season superlative awards and first-team and second-team selections.
Let’s dig in.
No. 1 TCU (27-3, 15-2; Last Ranking: No. 1)
No. 2 Baylor (25-5, 15-2; Last Ranking: No. 2)
The Horned Frogs have never won this many games in a season, have never won a Big 12 regular-season title, and have never hosted an NCAA Tournament sub-regional. It’s all there for the taking when they head to Waco to take on Baylor on Sunday. The winner not only wins the league but claims the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. TCU probably has a home sub-regional locked up at this point.
TCU has won its last six games. Baylor has won its last nine games.
The Bears are surging at the perfect time. But keep an eye on the status of both Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy. Littlepage-Buggs suffered an injury and has missed the last three games. The injury isn’t considered season-ending. Fontleroy went down with a shoulder injury on Monday that didn’t look great, but she was able to leave the floor under her own power.
Baylor needs both back to make a run in Kansas City and beyond. The Bears haven’t won the regular-season crown since 2022.
This should be fun.
No. 3 Oklahoma State (23-5, 13-4; Last Ranking: No. 3)
No. 4 West Virginia (22-6, 13-4; Last Ranking: No. 4)
Oklahoma State is one of the best stories of the season in the Big 12. The coaches picked the Cowgirls 11th in the preseason poll, and I’ll admit I had no idea what to expect. Coach Jacie Hoyt has done a masterful job, and Stailee Heard has taken a huge leap as a player.
West Virginia just wrapped up an undefeated season at home (16-0). With the right draw in the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers can get to the second weekend. But, like last year, they’ll probably have to go on the road to do it. At least there is no Caitlin Clark to deal with.
No. 5 Kansas State (25-5, 13-4; Last Ranking: No. 5)
No. 6 Iowa State (20-10, 11-6; Last Ranking: No. 6)
Both the Wildcats and the Cyclones lost recently to ranked teams, so I felt no need to drop them from their perches from a week ago.
Kansas State hopes to have Lee back for the NCAA Tournament. That is the intention. Let’s hope the clean-up procedure allows that to happen. This is the Wildcats’ best shot at a deep tournament run under Jeff Mittie, and it might be their best shot for a while.
I wouldn’t put it past the Cyclones figuring it out in Kansas City and going on a deep run there and in the NCAA Tournament. If Audi Crooks, Addy Brown and Emily Ryan are all clicking at the same time they’ll be hard to deal with. Right now Iowa State is on the bubble but I think it will make the dance once again.
No. 7 Utah (21-7, 12-4; Last Ranking: No. 7)
No. 8 Arizona (18-12, 9-8; Last Ranking: No. 9)
The Utes have had a fine season under coach Gavin Peterson, who took over after Lynne Roberts left for the WNBA. With Gianna Kneepkens, anything is possible for this team in the NCAAs.
Arizona gets a slight nudge up as the Wildcats are on a three-game winning streak and trying to do everything possible to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are the on the bubble and need a couple of more wins to have a good shot.
No. 9 Colorado (18-10, 9-8; Last Ranking: No. 9)
No. 10 Cincinnati (15-12, 7-10; Last Ranking: No. 10)
Should the Buffs and the Bearcats fail to make the NCAA Tournament, they both should receive high seeds in the WBIT. A deep run there for both teams would be a great launching off point for next season. I’m bullish on what Katrina Merriweather can do with the Bearcats in Year 3. A good offseason in the portal is critical.
No. 11 Kansas (16-12, 6-11; Last Ranking: No. 12)
No. 12 BYU (13-15, 4-13; Last Ranking: No. 11)
Kansas has a good enough resume to get into the WBIT or the WNIT, the latter of which the Jayhawks won two years ago.
BYU is on the verge of missing postseason play for the first time under coach Amber Whiting. I’m not sure if the WNIT or WBIT would take an under-.500 power conference team. It might depend on who accepts invites and who doesn’t.
No. 13 UCF (10-17, 3-14; Last Ranking: No. 14)
No. 14 Arizona State (9-20, 3-14; Last Ranking: No. 15)
UCF coach Sytia Messer and Arizona State coach Natasha Adair have serious work ahead at their programs. Messer and her Knights took a step back after last season. The Sun Devils basically held serve from a year ago in the Pac-12. Both face critical seasons in 2025-26, especially Adair who will enter Year 4.
No. 15 Texas Tech (14-16, 3-14; Last Ranking: No. 13)
No. 16 Houston (5-23, 1-16; Last Ranking: No. 15)
There may be no coach more disappointed in their Big 12 season than Texas Tech’s Krista Gerlich. She thought she had the right mix this year. The Lady Raiders could be on a 10-game losing streak going into Kansas City.
Houston coach Ronald Hughey will likely know if he’ll be at Houston next season after the Cougars are done at the Big 12 Tournament. Houston is on an 11-game losing streak and has never been to an NCAA Tournament in more than a decade under the coach.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
