For the third year in a row and the sixth time overall, the No. 3 Lady Bears are ranked in the Top 5 of the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Baylor has been included in the Top 10 of the preseason release of the poll since 2010-11.
UConn received the unanimous No. 1 national ranking, preceding No. 2 Texas. South Carolina and Ohio State follow Baylor in the rankings at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
After reaching the Elite Eight for the fourth consecutive season and claiming their seventh consecutive Big 12 regular season title, the Lady Bears finished the 2016-17 season at No. 5 in the final installment of the Associated Press Top 25.
Six letterwinners and two starters return for Baylor this season, including junior All-American and Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Kalani Brown, senior Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention pick Kristy Wallace, sophomore Big 12 Sixth Man Award winner and Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Lauren Cox, sophomore Natalie Chou, sophomore Juicy Landrum and senior Dekeiya Cohen.
Head coach Kim Mulkey also reloaded with a talented class, comprised of four guards, Alexis Morris, Trinity Oliver, Didi Richards and Moon Ursin. The signing class secured a No. 1 ranking by Prospects Nation and a No. 4 nod from ESPN Hoopgurlz.
Baylor hosts its second exhibition against Washburn on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. (CT) before opening the regular season against Lamar on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. inside the Ferrell Center.
