Baylor women’s basketball will participate in ‘Showdown on the Rez’ with a neutral site matchup against Arizona State on November 11, 2018 at the Bee Holdzil Fighting Scouts Event Center on the Navajo Reservation in Fort Defiance, Ariz.
The game will be broadcast live by ESPN2. A tip time and information on tickets will be announced at a later date.
Working in conjunction with ASU and its Office of American Indian Initiatives, ‘Showdown on the Rez’ will take place on Veterans Day Weekend and serve as a celebration of Native American Heritage Month. It will also provide a platform on which to recognize and honor Native Americans who served in the armed forces.
Baylor returns seven letterwinners from last year’s 33-2 squad, which swept Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to NCAA Regional competition for the 10th season in a row. Senior Kalani Brown, reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and eight-time All-American, and junior Lauren Cox, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-American, anchor the Lady Bears as returning starters.
Head coach Kim Mulkey, who is gearing up for her 19th season at the helm of the storied Baylor program, bolstered her 2018-19 squad with the nation’s top recruiting class. The 2018 class is comprised of forward Caitlin Bickle (Cave Creek, Ariz.), forward Aquira DeCosta (Sacramento, Calif.), forward Queen Egbo (Houston, Texas), guard Honesty Scott-Grayson (Severn, Md.) and forward NaLyssa Smith (Converse, Texas).
November marks the third all-time meeting between Baylor and Arizona State. The Lady Bears prevailed over the Sun Devils in the previous two, 85-62, on March 23, 2003 and, 70-66, on Dec. 20, 2009.
The Sun Devils went 22-13 last year, compiling a 10-8 mark to finish sixth in the Pac-12 regular season standings. ASU won two games against Arizona and Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament, before bowing out in the semifinals to Stanford. The Sun Devils have made five-straight NCAA appearances and registered five 20-win seasons in a row.
