TCU Women's Basketball Gearing Up for Battle vs. Kansas

The TCU women’s basketball team bounced back nicely with a win over UCF after falling to Ohio State on Jan. 19, signaling that all is well in the world when it comes to the Horned Frogs (19-2, 7-1 Big 12). But Mark Campbell’s squad can’t rest just yet, as it still has some important Big 12 contests left on the docket, with its matchup against Kansas on Jan. 29 being one of them.

Some would call this a “trap game” for the Horned Frogs, though that might be overextending just a bit. It’s certainly a matchup that TCU can’t take lightly, especially after the five-day layoff the team has had since playing last Saturday in Orlando. Regardless of any external factors, it’s imperative that TCU comes out on top against the Jayhawks (13-8, 3-6). Anything else would be suboptimal.

An Up-and-Down Season in Lawrence

Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Stailee Heard and Kansas Jayhawks guard S'Mya Nichol — Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Stailee Heard (32) defends Kansas Jayhawks guard S'Mya Nichols (12) during a women's BIG 12 basketball game between the Oklahoma State University Cowgirls (OSU) and the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jayhawks have had an up-and-down campaign thus far. After starting the season 6-0 — the team’s best wins over that stretch were against Missouri and Minnesota — Kansas fell into a little bit of a funk over the Thanksgiving break with losses to Georgia and Dayton. Four more wins followed, but then conference competition started and things haven’t been so rosy. Losses to Iowa State, West Virginia, Utah, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Arizona State have tarnished what appeared to be a strong start to the season.

Still, Kansas is on a two-game winning streak after picking up victories over Arizona and rival Kansas State, meaning that the Jayhawks might be getting their mojo back. If so, that’s frightening news for the Horned Frogs, though if Olivia Miles and the rest of the crew have anything to say about it, everything will be fine.

TCU Horned Frogs players — TCU Horned Frogs guard Donovyn Hunter, Guard Olivia Miles, forward Marta Suarez, center Clara Silva and guard Maddie Scherr talk during TCU's 82-43 win over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 6 at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, TX. | Parker Neal - KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

Much like many teams TCU has faced this season, Kansas is led by a duo of scoring threats: freshman forward Jaliya Davis and junior guard S’Mya Nichols. They are the only two players on the team averaging double-digit points — Davis is putting up 20.8 per game, while Nichols is producing 17.6. As such, the plan for the Frogs can be one of two things: 1) They could try to limit one or both of Davis or Nichols, making the rest of the crew step up in their place, or 2) they could let them get theirs and make the rest of the roster earn it. Either way, the odds favor TCU’s star power with Miles and its depth.

This is a sneaky game for the Horned Frogs. On one hand, it’s easy to say that beating an average Kansas team should be a given for TCU at this stage of the season. But this is college basketball — anything can happen. TCU already experienced that earlier in the year when Utah, a school that doesn’t boast a particularly potent women’s basketball program, rose up and took down the Frogs.

That said, winning this one is important. Over the course of the last two seasons, TCU hasn’t gone on a two-game slide. In the eyes of Campbell and company, there’s no reason for that to happen now.

Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The game will be televised on ESPN.

An Up-and-Down Season in Lawrence

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