Women's Power Rankings: Who is really the top team in the Big 12?

"Thirteen years have passed since Texas Tech last made the women's NCAA tournament and had a winning conference record. The door is open for the Lady Raiders to do both again in 2026. They are one of four unbeaten teams left in women's Division I, but who really is the best team in the Big 12? So far, there isn't just one."

"From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Tech made 16 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won the 1993 NCAA title. But since Marsha Sharp retired from coaching in 2005, it has had four coaches and made the NCAA tournament just twice, both first-round losses (2011 and 2013). Krista Gerlich, a starting guard on Texas Tech's national championship team, took over the Lady Raiders in August 2020; in 2023, she led the program to its first 20-win campaign since 2013."

Texas Tech has emerged as an unexpected contender in the Big 12, sitting among four unbeaten teams and aiming to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 13 years. Big 12 parity has produced multiple legitimate contenders, with Baylor, TCU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia all still in the mix. Arizona State has exceeded expectations at 15-1 after a low preseason projection. Texas Tech's program experienced sustained success in the 1990s and early 2000s but then declined after Marsha Sharp's 2005 retirement. Krista Gerlich returned as coach in 2020 and rebuilt the team to recent 19- and 20-win seasons.

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