Who is favored to win Big 12 women's basketball? -Deseret News

A year ago, with future WNBA draft pick Alissa Pili leading an experienced team, the Utah women's basketball team was the preseason favorite in the Pac-12.

This year, in the Utes' first season in the Big 12, the expectations are a little different.

Utah is projected to finish sixth in the Big 12, according to the league's preseason poll released Thursday, which coaches vote on.

BYU, on the other hand, is projected to finish 12th in the league in its second year.

Kansas State is the preseason favorite, edging out Iowa State in both total points (211 to 209) and first-place votes (7 to 6). Behind them are Baylor, TCU and West Virginia, which round out the top five in the preseason poll.

The Utes are coming off their third straight season of reaching the NCAA Tournament, a year in which Utah went 23-11 despite multiple injuries to key players. Utah reached the second round of the NCAAs.

All-American Pili is gone, although Utah will benefit from the return of defenseman Gianna Kneepkens, who missed most of last year after breaking several bones in her right foot in a win over BYU in early December.

Kneepkens — a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 honoree with career averages of 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game — was named to the preseason All-Big 12 team released Thursday . She received a medical redshirt last season and will be a junior this year.

However, the 6-foot Kneepkens isn't the only experienced player Utah has back. Forward Jenna Johnson and guards Kennady McQueen, Ines Vieira and Maty Wilke return along with several role players. They are joined by three freshman guards and transfer forwards Maye Toure and Chyra Evans.

The Cougars, meanwhile, are coming off a 16-17 season in which they went 6-12 in the league and lost in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament.

BYU returns six players but will see a lot of roster turnover as the Cougars will be without their top two scorers from last season in Lauren Gustin (grad) and Kailey Woolston (LDS).

The Cougars return three players who started 10 or more games last season in Amari Whiting, Emma Calvert and Lauren Davenport, and those players are joined by a newcomer group that includes five freshmen and four transfers.

BYU and Utah will play twice next season – the Cougars host the Utes in Provo on Jan. 25, followed by a game in Salt Lake City on March 1 in the regular-season finale for both teams.

2024-25 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Kansas State (7 firsts), 211 points
2. Iowa State (6), 209
3. Baylor (2), 194
4. TCU, 185
5. West Virginia (1), 184
6. Utah, 149
7. Arizona, 136
8. Kansas, 128
9. Colorado, 113
10. Texas Tech, 84
11. Oklahoma State, 80
12. BYU, 59
13. Cincinnati, 56
14. UCF, 54
15. Arizona State, 51
16. Houston, 27

2024-25 Big 12 Women's Preseason Basketball Superlatives

Preseason Player of the Year: Ayoka Lee, Kansas State

Co-Newcomer of the Year in the previous season: Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor and Hailey Van Lith, TCU

Preseason Rookie of the Year: Tabitha Betson, Colorado

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

• Sarah Andrews, Baylor
• Aaronette Vonleh, Baylor
• Kaitlin Peterson, UCF
• Audi Crooks, Iowa State*
• S'Mya Nichols, Kansas
• Ayoka Lee, Kansas State*
• Serena Sundell, Kansas State
• Hailey Van Lith, TCU
• Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
• JJ Quinerly, West Virginia*

*Indicates a unanimous selection