TCU women’s basketball makes program history in preseason Big 12 coaches poll
Coming off the best season in program history, expectations still abound for TCU women’s basketball, which was selected to be Big 12 champion in the conference’s preseason coaches poll for the first time.
The Horned Frogs, who won the first Big 12 title in school history last season, received 10 of 16 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Iowa State (two first-place votes) was picked second, followed by Baylor (two) and Oklahoma State (two).
Last season, TCU went 34-4 (16-2 Big 12) and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs were led by transfers Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince, both of whom were finalists for the John R. Wooden award, given out annually to the best player in college basketball.
This season, TCU will be led by another star transfer, Olivia Miles, in her final season of college eligibility. She played four seasons with Notre Dame before leaving for Fort Worth.
Miles was selected as the preseason Big 12 newcomer of the year in the coaches poll and was also one of six unanimous selections for the preseason All-Big 12 first team.
Last season Miles averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds on her way to second-team Associated Press All-American honors while leading Notre Dame to the Sweet 16, where the Fighting Irish fell to the Horned Frogs.
TCU will open its season against North Carolina AT&T on Nov. 6 at Schollmaier Arena at a time to be announced.
Preseason Big 12 women’s basketball coaches poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. TCU: 219 points (10)
2. Iowa State: 202 (2)
3. Baylor: 200 (2)
4. Oklahoma State: 186 (2)
5. West Virginia: 161
6. Kansas: 156
7. Kansas State: 143
8. Utah: 115
9. Colorado: 114
10. BYU: 85
11. Arizona State: 84
12. Cincinnati: 82
13. Texas Tech: 63
14. Arizona: 47
15. Houston: 41
16. Central Florida: 22
Preseason All-Big 12 women’s basketball team
Preseason Player of the Year
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Olivia Miles, TCU
Preseason Freshman of the Year
Dee Alexander, Cincinnati
Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor*
Bella Fontleroy, Baylor
Delaney Gibb, BYU*
Jade Masogayo, Colorado
Addy Brown, Iowa State
Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
S’Mya Nichols, Kansas*
Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State*
Olivia Miles, TCU*
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
*Unanimous selection
