Baylor accomplished the ultimate in 2019, earning the program’s third-ever national championship. Head coach Kim Mulkey returns 10 players from her title-winning roster, hoping to make it number four in 2020.
The start of the team’s attempt to defend its crown will happen in the non-conference. The Lady Bears will have plenty of home time to get their legs under them before the Big 12 portion of the schedule kicks in.
Baylor will play 10 games in Waco outside of conference play, opening up the campaign with five straight at home. Mulkey’s team will only travel for one true road game, although it’s against one of the most marquee opponents you can find: UConn.
The Huskies will welcome the Lady Bears to Connecticut on Jan. 9, by far the most difficult game on Baylor’s out-of-league slate. Connecticut has been to every Final Four since 2008 and are a good bet to be one of the toughest teams in the nation in any given year. This will be a great test to gauge Baylor’s chances at going back-to-back.
The only other non-conference games the team will play away from home will come at the Paradise Jam Shootout at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands from Nov. 28-30. The event will provide Baylor with three games: Washington State (Nov. 28), Indiana (Nov. 29) and South Carolina (Nov. 30). The Hoosiers and Gamecocks were tournament teams a season ago, and Baylor knocked South Carolina out in the Sweet 16, 93-68.
Georgia is the final major-conference opponent on Baylor’s out-of-league docket. The Lady Bulldogs missed the NCAA Tournament last season, going 18-12 (9-7) on the year. Junior guard Gabby Connally returns for Georgia as the team will aim to get back to the Big Dance for the first time since its second-round run two years ago.