We continue our conference preview series with the Big 12. Here is a look at each team in order of predicted finish according to the preseason coaches poll.
Players to watch (preseason All-Big 12 list): Ashley Joens (First Team), Emily Ryan (First), Lexi Donarski (First)
The Cyclones had loftier expectations than just one Sweet Sixteen visit over Ashley Joens’ first four years. At least they made it to the second round of the tournament all three years it occurred in that span, which is a good accomplishment, but they definitely had their sights set higher. They lost a heartbreaker to Jordan Nixon and Texas A&M in 2021 and were upset in an 11 seed/3 seed situation in 2019, preventing two trips to the Sweet Sixteen. They also were upset in a 10 seed/3 seed game last year with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. Now, they enter 2022-23 as the only team with three preseason All-Big 12 Team members. With the talented trio of Joens, Emily Ryan and Lexi Donarski leading the way, could this be the year Iowa State finally makes its first Final Four and/or wins one or more of the Big 12 championships for the first time since 2001?
Players to watch: Rori Harmon (First), Aaliyah Moore (First), Shaylee Gonzales (honorable mention) Taylor Jones (HM), Sonya Morris (HM)
Texas has been picked to finish second in the Big 12 by the conference’s coaches, but the national media has it ahead of Iowa State, all the way up at No. 3. Three key transfers in Shaylee Gonzales (BYU), Taylor Jones (Oregon) and Sonya Morris (DePaul) will try to make up for the departures of Aliyah Matharu, Joanne Allen-Taylor, Lauren Ebo and Audrey Warren. Second-leading scorer Rori Harmon is the only Top 5 scorer returning for the Longhorns, but those three transfers bring a lot to the table and are the reason why Texas is so highly ranked. Harmon, who averaged five assists per game last year as a freshman, received preseason All-America honorable mention honors, while Gonzales is the two-time reigning WCC Player of the Year. That should be a great backcourt tandem.
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