8 players to keep an eye on as Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament starts in KC
Women’s basketball is in the middle of a cultural surge, and the sport — and its athletes — have never been more explosive.
The WNBA is expanding to more teams. New leagues like Unrivaled are selling out NBA arenas. And college players are building national brands in real time.
Plus, social media has helped fans create a stronger connection to some of their favorite players. Take Iowa State star and All-Big 12 first-team honoree Jada Williams, who has surpassed over 1 million followers across her social media all while making a splash in the conference.
That energy now shifts to Kansas City, where the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off Wednesday ahead of the men’s tournament. This is where the regular-season momentum turns into March Madness.
Day 1 of the tournament kicks off with No. 12 Kansas State versus No. 13 Cincinnati at 11 a.m. and will wrap with No. 11 Kansas taking on No. 14 UCF at 8 p.m.
Here are eight players to be on the lookout for during the tournament.
Olivia Miles
TCU, senior guard
It’s no secret that Olivia Miles is a force to be reckoned with. Miles, who transferred from Notre Dame to TCU ahead of this season, is projected to go in the top 10 of the 2026 WNBA Draft.
She finished the regular season averaging 20.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting 49.3% from the field. The starting guard led TCU to a second consecutive regular-season Big 12 title, the first time TCU had accomplished such a feat.
While Miles was eligible for the 2025 WNBA Draft and projected to be a lottery pick last year, she instead entered the transfer portal to finish out her collegiate career at TCU.
While Miles can struggle defensively against opponents, offensively she is lauded as one of the best playmakers in women’s college basketball.
Miles is only the third D-I player in the last 25 seasons to rack up 2,000 points, 800 rebounds and 800 assists. The senior also earned five Big 12 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week awards this season.
Plus, she was just named the Big 12 conference women’s basketball Player of the Year.
Audi Crooks
Iowa State, junior center
Paired with Jada Williams and Addy Brown, this trio has continued to post standout performances this season. Standing at 6-foot-3, Crooks is noted as one of the most dominant post players in college basketball. Not only does she command the floor in the post, she has also broken offensive records this season.
Crooks has dropped multiple 40-point games this season. On Nov. 12, she made headlines, scoring 43 points versus Valparaiso in just 20 minutes.
It doesn’t stop there. Crooks is the only player in the country with multiple 40-point games this season, according to Iowa State. Most recently, with her fifth career 40-point game, she tied former Baylor star Brittney Griner’s conference record for the most 40-point games in a season. Crooks also led the Big 12 in scoring this season.
She now holds the Iowa State women’s basketball single-game scoring record with the 47 points she dropped against Indiana on Nov. 30.
S’Mya Nichols
Kansas, junior guard
A Shawnee Mission West standout, there are few guards in the Big 12 who can control the tempo the way Nichols can.
Nichols has consistently shown she is a pure scorer and isn’t afraid to be physical.
The junior guard has quietly developed into one of the Big 12’s most dynamic scoring guards. She finished the regular season averaging 17.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Showing that she is efficient in getting to the free-throw line, Nichols made history this season surpassing the legendary Jayhawks guard Lynette Woodard for most free throws made in program history. With 204 free throws made on 242 attempts in 30 games, the guard also leads the nation in free throw attempts.
Though Kansas finished the regular season outside the top 10 of the Big 12 standings, Nichols and the Jayhawks will look to make a run in the Big 12 Tournament.
Jaliya Davis
Kansas, freshman forward
An Overland Park native and standout player, Davis was also recruited from the metro. She was a five-star recruit who played at Blue Valley North.
She was just unanimously named the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year.
Nichols and Davis complement each other well. In the same Oklahoma State game where Nichols became KU women’s basketball’s all-time leader in free throws, Davis scored a career-high 30 points. Davis has averaged 21 points and 6.3 rebounds on 63.7% shooting this season.
The forward was named the Big 12’s Freshman of the Week for nine consecutive weeks, which is the most consecutive honors by any power conference player all-time, according to the Big 12. Davis was also named to the Big 12 Starting Five multiple times.
Her defensive versatility allows the Jayhawks to switch and stay competitive against deeper frontcourts.
Her senior year at Blue Valley North, she earned multiple accolades across the highest honors in girl’s basketball. That included being awarded the 2025 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and being named the 2024-25 Kansas MaxPreps High School Girls Basketball player of the year.
Taliah Scott
Baylor, sophomore guard
The sophomore started her collegiate career at Arkansas, but transferred to Auburn before heading to Baylor ahead of this season.
Scott has emerged as one of the top players in the Big 12, earning Big 12 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors twice this season and being named seven times to the Big 12 Starting Five.
Scott’s shot creation and perimeter scoring give Baylor an offensive spark. When she’s aggressive and finds a rhythm early, she can stretch defenses and open driving lanes for Baylor’s interior players.
In a recent ESPN interview, the Baylor guard shared she’s been fasting for Ramadan heading into the tournament.
Jordan Harrison
West Virginia, senior guard
Most recently named to the 2026 Naismith Trophy Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year Late-season Team — as well as being named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year — Harrison has continued to show why she’s one of the best defensively in women’s college basketball.
The 5-foot-6 guard is a disruptive defender who can turn stops into transition opportunities and is fearless attacking in the paint. Her ability to pressure opposing guards and create offense off turnovers gives WVU a different edge heading into the tournament in Kansas City.
Jada Williams
Iowa State, junior guard
A Kansas City native, Williams transferred to Iowa State ahead of this season with the desire to play closer to home and family.
Alongside Crooks, Williams has also scored over 40 points in a game this season. That includes her career-high 44 points against Cincinnati in January.
After Williams transferred from Arizona, Iowa State has seen the offensive improvements that come with adding a 5-foot-8 guard who isn’t afraid of a big moment. Williams has shown she can step into that role.
While averaging 15.5 points this season, she balances scoring with energetic playmaking and limits turnovers. She also isn’t shy about taking big shots — and that mentality matters as March Madness begins.
Marta Suarez
TCU, senior forward
The versatility of this TCU forward makes her a matchup problem.
Paired with Miles for the Horned Frogs, Suarez not only helped TCU win the Big 12 regular-season championship, she was also named Big 12 Player of the Week that same week. That was her second POTW honor this season.
TCU is Suarez’s third collegiate program, and you can see the experience and composure she carries when the forward steps onto the floor. She scored a career-high 32 points against Cincinnati in an 83-70 win over the Bearcats this season. Both Miles and Suarez have recorded a triple-double for TCU, including in the same game earlier this season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Suarez is eligible for the 2026 WNBA Draft, where she’s projected to go early in the second round.
This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 9:41 AM.
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