• The Baylor Bears women’s basketball team is undefeated in January, 18–3 overall, No. 14 in the AP Top 25, and sits second in the Big 12 standings behind Texas Tech.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Taliah Scott has emerged as a star, earning multiple Big 12 Player of the Week honors while leading Baylor with clutch scoring, including game-winning shots and dominant performances in conference play.
• Baylor’s success is fueled by Scott’s composure and a strong supporting cast—Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Jana van Gytenbeek, and Bella Fontleroy—forming a balanced lineup poised for a Big 12 title push.

The Baylor Bears know something about winning. They’re undefeated in January and currently sit at No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll. They’re currently 18-3 this season and 7-1 in Big 12 conference play, sitting in second place behind Texas Tech.

It’s easy to see what makes this team so good. Just watching Taliah Scott on the court, it’s clear even to a basketball novice that she’s a star. The redshirt sophomore guard was just named to the Big 12 Starting Five for the second time this season. It was also her fifth weekly award of the season, earning a handful of Big 12 Player of the Week awards too. In Baylor’s Jan. 20 win over the University of Central Florida, Scott scored 22 points and helped extend her team’s win streak to seven games.

Scott also led her team in scoring in recent conference games on the road, against both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. In the former game she scored 14 points, and in the latter she came through with 25 as well as five assists and six rebounds.

What is it that makes Scott so good? For one thing, she is impressively composed under pressure. In Baylor’s Jan. 4 game against Iowa State, Scott hit a game-winning jumper with 2.9 seconds to go. Her ability to remain calm and trust herself, to both take and make that late shot, secured a crucial victory for her team. And in this same game, Scott didn’t record a single point until the second half, demonstrating another reason why she’s so successful - she doesn’t get discouraged. She may have started slow, but she certainly didn’t let it get to her.

As Scott demonstrated in Baylor’s victory over Iowa State, as well as in other crucial games like the win over BYU as well as blowouts like the team’s 90-36 win over Alabama State, she plays with patience. She trusts herself and doesn’t get frantic or reveal her cards, constantly forcing defenders to guess what she is about to do. These are skills that are normally possessed by players with much more experience.

Baylor is Scott’s third school. After playing her freshman season with the Arkansas Razorbacks, leading the team in scoring at 22.1 points per game, she left for Auburn, where she only played three games in her sophomore campaign before a season-ending injury. Scott ultimately landed at Baylor, which proved to have lasting power, not just because she was able to find herself after a career reset, but also because of who was on the court beside her.

Scott’s composure and trust in herself are clear to see, but like so many great players, she has a great support system that allows her to play her best. Guard/forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs is Scott’s right hand, bringing aggression and physicality to the court that helps generate offense for Scott and others. Guard Jana van Gytenbeek, the true veteran leader on the court, facilitates plays and opens up space for Scott. And guard/forward Bella Fontleroy, another reliable scorer, regularly stretches the defense to help Scott find more opportunities.

The harmony of these four players has been on constant display during Baylor’s hot streak. In that crucial win over Iowa State, Littlepage-Buggs had 20 rebounds and double-digit turnovers, and in the team’s Jan. 14 win over Utah, van Gytenbeek helped out with six assists.

One major takeaway from Baylor’s recent hot streak is that the connections between Scott and Littlepage-Buggs are a proven success. Littlepage-Buggs is one of the best rebounders in the Big 12, leading both her school and conference in rebounds per game (about 10). Of Scott’s many skills, rebounding isn’t at the top of the list, but she’s able to force defenders to the perimeter, making room for Littlepage-Buggs to jump on the ball. Together, they are a nightmare for defenders.

Baylor has some steep competition approaching, including a game against conference No. 1s Texas Tech in Lubbock. But Scott is already a lethal weapon, and her teammates only make her stronger.