Kansas State Women’s Basketball's Historic Big 12 Tournament Run Ends vs TCU
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When the final buzzer echoed through the T-Mobile Center, the scoreboard showed a 74–62 loss for Kansas State Wildcats women's basketball. But that number only told part of the story. The Wildcats’ journey through the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament was anything but ordinary.
Kansas State's Freshman Jordan Speiser Lights Up the Tournament
Kansas State did something no other team had ever done before. Entering the tournament as the No. 12 seed, the Wildcats made history by becoming the first team from that position to reach the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
Final pic.twitter.com/SVLQixpbkp
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) March 7, 2026
The remarkable ride came to an end against a strong TCU Horned Frogs women's basketball team that improved to 29–4 on the season. TCU pulled away with a clinical second-half performance, powered by Marta Suarez. She posted a dominant double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Olivia Miles also played a key role for the Horned Frogs, contributing 18 points and eight rebounds while controlling the tempo from the backcourt. One of the brightest stars of the tournament was Kansas State freshman Jordan Speiser.
Coming off the bench in the semifinal matchup, Speiser led the Wildcats with 16 points. That includes three clutch three-pointers that helped keep Kansas State within striking distance. Speiser tied the national mark by a freshman over the past 15 years for three-point field goals made in any NCAA Division I conference tournament.
Kansas State’s offense was balanced throughout the semifinal contest. Four Wildcats finished the game in double figures. Speiser’s 16 points led the way, while Nastja Claessens added 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting along with four rebounds. Taryn Sides contributed 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds, and Tess Heal rounded out the group with 10 points and four rebounds.
Wildcats Control the First Half Before TCU Surge
Kansas State started the game with strong energy and defensive intensity. The Wildcats controlled the first quarter, winning the opening period 13–10 thanks to a defense that forced eight TCU turnovers. Kansas State built an early 8–0 lead advantage in points off turnovers.
Gina Garcia delivered a key moment late in the quarter with a layup that gave the Wildcats a 10–8 lead with just over three minutes remaining. Moments later, Speiser knocked down a three-pointer with 50 seconds left to help Kansas State finish the quarter in front.
TCU opened with an 8–0 run to take an 18–13 lead. Sides sparked the rally with a three-pointer after a midcourt steal, swinging the momentum back toward the Wildcats. The surge continued as Kansas State regained the lead at 24–22.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Nastja Claessens and Speiser stretched the Wildcats’ advantage to 31–25, sending a jolt of excitement through the Kansas State bench. Although TCU scored the final five points of the half, Kansas State still carried a 33–32 lead into the locker room.
The second quarter also continued a familiar trend for the Wildcats. It marked the ninth time this season Kansas State scored at least 20 points in the second quarter. The turning point of the game came in the third quarter.
The Horned Frogs opened the period by making seven consecutive field goals, building momentum that Kansas State struggled to stop. By the time the scoring surge slowed, TCU had pushed ahead 52–45.
TCU shot an incredible 73.3 percent from the field in the quarter, connecting on 11 of its 15 attempts. The Horned Frogs outscored Kansas State 24–16 during the period and entered the fourth quarter with a 56–49 lead.
Even then, the Wildcats refused to quit. With 5:14 remaining in the game, Jordan Speiser drove to the basket for a layup that cut the deficit to just five points at 62–57. The Wildcats appeared ready to make another comeback. But TCU answered immediately.
The Horned Frogs knocked down three consecutive three-pointers that pushed the lead back to double digits and quieted the Kansas State rally. The Wildcats managed to trim the margin to 70–62 with less than a minute remaining.
Despite the loss, Kansas State accomplished several notable milestones during the tournament. The Wildcats finished the semifinal shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three-point range. Defensively, they forced 16 turnovers and held a 13–5 advantage in points off turnovers.
Sides moved into ninth place on Kansas State’s career three-point list with 188 and tied Glenn for 15th in career assists with 320. Gina Garcia recorded a career-high five steals and increased her season assist total to 177, the second-most ever by a Kansas State freshman and a school record for an international player.
The Wildcats now hold an impressive 186–24 record when leading at halftime, including 10–3 this season. Their 341 steals this year rank as the third-most in program history.
Although TCU now leads the all-time series 14–12, the Wildcats leave Kansas City with a legacy moment. With a final record of 18–17 and a historic semifinal appearance, Kansas State now looks ahead to the national stage.
The Wildcats will learn their postseason destination during the 2026 WBIT Selection Show on Sunday, March 15, airing at 8 p.m. on ESPN+.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.