Junior forward Nina Davis and senior point guard Niya Johnson will again be focal points for the Lady Bears fast-paced offense. Davis was named Big 12 Player of the Year last year, averaging 21.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Senior point guard Niya Johnson set Big 12 regular season records for assists (322) and broke her own assist-to-turnover ratio record (4.13/1).
The Lady Bears will add another weapon this season in junior guard Alexis Jones. An electric passer and scorer, Jones sat out last season following her transfer to Baylor from Duke, where she was named Atlantic Coast conference Freshman of the Year in 2013.
Coming into 2015-16, the Lady Bears are working on a number of impressive streaks they will try to extend for a sixth straight season. The Lady Bears have won five consecutive Big 12 regular season titles, five straight Big 12 Tournaments and have won 30 games or more as well in each of the last five seasons.
Baylor's sophomore and junior classes provide a strong core for the Lady Bears alongside their three seniors, Niya Johnson, Kristina Higgins and Chardonae Fuqua. Once program youngsters, juniors Nina Davis, Alexis Prince, Khadijah Cave and transfer Alexis Jones and sophomores Kristy Wallace and Dekeiya Cohen will provide much of the scoring and rebounding for the team.
Among Baylor's five incoming freshmen are twin towers with an elite background. Both Kalani Brown of Slidell, La., and Beatrice Mompremier of Miami were McDonald’s All-Americans in high school. They’ll also provide height for the next four years: Brown stands 6'7" and Mompremier is 6'4".
When the Lady Bears open Big 12 play at Oklahoma State Dec. 30, they’ll have been tested by 13 nonconference games and two exhibition contests. Included in the slate is a Preseason WNIT berth against a strong field, contests against Cincinnati and Michigan State in the Bahamas and a game against Miami on a Florida road trip.
