Kansas Women’s Basketball Poised for a Breakout Season — But Here’s Where It Gets Controversial...
The Kansas women’s basketball team is gearing up for what could be one of its most exciting seasons yet, thanks to a potent mix of returning talent and an incoming freshman class that many are calling the best in the program’s history. Yet, despite this promising outlook, the Big 12 coaches’ poll released Thursday morning places the Jayhawks at sixth out of 16 teams — a ranking that might surprise some fans and analysts alike.
Last season was a tough pill to swallow for KU. Plagued by injuries and inconsistency, the Jayhawks finished 11th in the conference and bowed out in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. This was a significant drop from their preseason projection of eighth place. However, the silver lining is that nearly the entire core of contributors from that challenging campaign is back on the roster. Key players include versatile wings Elle Evans and Brittany Harshaw, dynamic guards Laia Conesa and Sania Copeland, forward Regan Williams, and center Nadira Eltayeb. But the crown jewel of the team is undoubtedly junior guard S’Mya Nichols.
Nichols, hailing from Overland Park, has been a standout for KU, earning All-Big 12 first team honors in each of the past two seasons. This year, she was a unanimous selection for the preseason all-conference team, underscoring her status as one of the league’s elite players. Last season, Nichols averaged an impressive 18.6 points per game, ranking fifth in the Big 12, set a new school record for free throws made, and earned an All-American honorable mention from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Her leadership and scoring ability will be critical to KU’s success this year.
Head coach Brandon Schneider, now entering his 11th season leading the Jayhawks, has also bolstered the roster with a highly touted freshman class. This group includes Tatyonna Brown, McDonald’s All-American Jaliya Davis, Libby Fandel, and Keeley Parks. Additionally, the team welcomed Indiana transfer Lilly Meister to strengthen the frontcourt. Although the roster consists of just 12 players, this infusion of talent provides significantly more depth than last year’s squad, which could be a game-changer in a grueling Big 12 schedule.
Fans will get their first glimpse of this revamped team at Late Night in the Phog on October 17, an event that traditionally kicks off the basketball season with excitement and fanfare. Following that, KU will host an exhibition game against Fort Hays State on October 29 before officially opening the season against Kansas City on November 5.
In the coaches’ poll, TCU, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia were ranked ahead of Kansas, in that order. The Jayhawks were followed by Kansas State, Utah, Colorado, BYU, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Arizona, Houston, and UCF. Notably, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks was named the Big 12 preseason player of the year, while Cincinnati’s Dee Alexander earned the preseason freshman of the year honor.
And this is the part most people miss: While KU’s sixth-place prediction might seem modest given their talent, it raises an intriguing question — are the coaches underestimating the Jayhawks’ potential, or is there skepticism about how well this young, revamped team will gel under pressure? Could the depth and star power translate into a surprise top-tier finish, or will last season’s struggles linger?
What do you think? Is Kansas poised to exceed expectations and make a deep run in the Big 12, or will they fall short once again? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below — we’d love to hear your take on this potentially pivotal season for KU women’s basketball.
Written by Henry Greenstein
Henry Greenstein is the sports editor at the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com, where he covers day-to-day sports news and serves as the KU beat writer. Before joining the Journal-World, Henry reported for The Bakersfield Californian. He holds a B.A. in Linguistics from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.A. in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University. Though originally from Los Angeles, Henry often hears he doesn’t quite fit the "California vibe"—whatever that means!
