Throughout its 18-game tour of the Big 12 Conference, the Colorado women’s basketball team had to battle nearly every night.
For the Buffs (20-10, 11-7 Big 12), 11 conference games were decided by single digits and four others were close games in the fourth quarter. CU’s path through the Big 12 wasn’t unlike that of other teams, and that competitiveness makes this week’s conference tournament intriguing.
“I just think it’s one of the strongest conferences in the country,” CU head coach JR Payne said after the Buffs’ win against then-No. 20 Texas Tech on Feb. 21. “(Upsets and close games around the Big 12) speaks to the strength of the conference, the balance in the conference, the tremendous coaching in our conference, and I’m definitely expecting a lot of teams to be dancing in March.”
The Big 12 tournament, held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, begins Wednesday, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday. Sixth-seeded CU earned a first-round bye and will play Thursday night (7 p.m. MT, ESPN+).
As the tournament begins, five Big 12 teams — 10th-ranked TCU, No. 15 West Virginia, No. 20 Baylor, No. 21 Texas Tech and unranked Oklahoma State — are all locks to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Another six teams, including CU, are squarely on the tournament bubble.
Overall, 12 teams in the conference are ranked in the top 60 in the NET rankings. The SEC is the only other conference in the country with 75% of its teams in the top 60.
“I’m just excited for the Big 12 to be able to showcase the quality of teams that we have (in Kansas City),” Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich said after her team’s loss in Boulder. “I don’t think we get very much respect.
“(The Big 12 tournament) is a fun atmosphere, it’s a fun conference to be a part of. It’s hard-nosed. I know on the men’s side the Big 12 gets all the respect. I think they need to start looking at the Big 12 on the women’s side.”
Here’s a primer of the league’s showcase event:
Colorado’s opener
The sixth-seeded Buffs earned a bye and will play Thursday against the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between 11th-seeded Kansas and 14th-seeded Central Florida.
On Jan. 18 at UCF, the Buffs gave up a 20-2 run in the second quarter and then coughed up a six-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose 74-68. The Buffs went 8-1 in their next nine games, while UCF lost its next 10.
At Kansas on Feb. 1, CU gave up a late fourth-quarter lead but rallied in overtime to beat the Jayhawks, 69-66.
With a win Thursday, the Buffs would play third-seeded Baylor on Friday (7 p.m. MT, ESPN+).
The favorite: No. 1 seed TCU (27-4)
The Horned Frogs are the top seed for the second year in a row and seeking their second straight tournament title, as well. The No. 1 seed has won this tournament 17 times in 28 chances.
Colorado Buffaloes’ Anaëlle Dutat, center, looks to pass between West Virginia Mountaineers’ Carter McCray, left, and Kierra Wheeler, right, at the CU Events Center in Boulder on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)Top contenders: No. 2 West Virginia (24-6), Baylor (24-7)
Throughout the season, the Mountaineers and third-seeded Bears have been right with TCU atop the standings. They are a combined 0-4 against the Horned Frogs, however.
Don’t count out: No. 4 Oklahoma State (23-8), No. 5 Texas Tech (25-6), No. 7 seed Iowa State (22-8)
It’s been nine years since a team outside the top three seeds won this tournament (No. 6 seed West Virginia in 2017), but these teams have a shot. OSU won four of its last five games to snag the No. 4 seed and double-bye — a stretch that included a 10-point win against Tech, which the Cowgirls could meet Friday. Tech went just 2-3 down the stretch but is the only team to beat each of the top three seeds. Injuries have hampered Iowa State, but the Cyclones are always dangerous with Big 12 leading scorer Audi Crooks.
Sleepers: Colorado, No. 8 Utah (19-11), No. 9 BYU (20-10), No. 11 Kansas (18-12)
The Buffs have defeated TCU, OSU and Texas Tech, and lost to West Virginia and Baylor by a combined 10 points. Utah has the shooters to hang with anyone and defeated both TCU and West Virginia. BYU and sophomore star Delaney Gibb are sizzling with a three-game win streak. And Kansas is 5-2 since the loss to CU and has two of the league’s top players in Jaliya Davis and S’Mya Nichols.
Colorado Buffaloes’ Jade Crook, left, covers Iowa State Cyclones’ Audi Crooks, right, at the CU Events Center in Boulder on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)On the bubble
ESPN has Iowa State and CU in the NCAA Tournament field, but barely. Both might need a win in Kansas City to secure a spot. Utah is among ESPN’s “first four out,” and likely has to win at least once to have a shot to get in. No. 10 seed Arizona State, BYU and Kansas are all among the “next four out.” All three teams certainly have to win Wednesday and might need to win at least twice to earn a spot.
Stars
While the focus is on the teams and their fates for March, the Big 12 Tournament will feature several stars.
TCU’s Olivia Miles and Iowa State’s Crooks are All-American candidates. TCU’s Marta Suarez, West Virginia’s Kierra Wheeler and Jordan Harrison, Baylor’s Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Taliah Scott, and Texas Tech’s Bailey Maupin and Snudda Collins are also among the elite.
2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament Schedule
T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
(All Times MT; All games on ESPN+ unless noted)
First Round – Wednesday
Game 1 – (12) Kansas State vs. (13) Cincinnati, 10 a.m.
Game 2 – (9) BYU vs. (16) Houston, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 – (10) Arizona State vs. (15) Arizona, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4 – (11) Kansas vs. (14) Central Florida, 7 p.m.
Second Round – Thursday
Game 5 – (5) Texas Tech vs. Winner of Game 1, 10 a.m.
Game 6 – (8) Utah vs. Winner of Game 2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7 – (7) Iowa State vs. Winner of Game 3, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 – (6) Colorado vs. Winner of Game 4, 7 p.m.
Quarterfinals – Friday
Game 9 – (4) Oklahoma State vs. Winner of Game 5, 10 a.m. (ESPNU)
Game 10 – (1) TCU vs. Winner of Game 6, 12:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 11 – (2) West Virginia vs. Winner of Game 7, 4:30 p.m.
Game 12 – (3) Baylor vs. Winner of Game 8, 7 p.m.
Semifinals – Saturday
Game 13 – Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10, 2 p.m.
Game 14 – Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12, 4:30 p.m.
Final – Sunday*
Game 15 – Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 14, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
(*Should BYU advance to the Championship, the game will be played Monday, March 9 at 2 p.m.)
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