KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship tips off Wednesday with four games at the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
No. 11 Kansas will face No. 14 Texas Tech at 8 p.m. in the final game of the day.
Kansas women's head coach Brandon Schneider talked with KSHB 41 Sports ahead of the tournament to discuss the Jayhawks' preparations and some of the challenges the team has faced this season.
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“Kansas City is a great place to have the Big 12 Tournament,” Schneider said. “It’s great for new teams to get to experience it.”
This year, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah join the Big 12, expanding the field to 16 teams competing for the conference championship.
Kansas finished with a 6-12 record in conference play, 11th in the standings.
A key factor in the Jayhawks’ success this season has been the play of sophomore S'Mya Nichols, a two-time All-Big 12 First Team player.
Nichols leads Kansas and ranks fifth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game. Additionally, she has scored in double figures 26 times in 29 games, with 16 games of scoring 20 or more points.
“She’s done really well statistically,” Schneider said. “She leads the country in free throws made, and for her to be shooting over 40% from three in her second season is remarkable.”
In addition to her shooting prowess, Nichols made history this season by becoming the 33rd player in KU's program history to score 1,000 career points. She reached the milestone in her 58th game, making her the second-fastest to do so, behind only Kansas legend Lynette Woodard.
“She’s in pretty good company being mentioned alongside Lynette Woodard,” Schneider said.
Looking to next season, the Jayhawks are excited about the addition of Jaliya Davis, a local star from Blue Valley North. Schneider believes Davis will be an immediate impact player for Kansas.
“She’s a tremendous athlete, a great rebounder, and can score in the low post, the high post and defend multiple positions,” Schneider said.
With the conference championship up for grabs, Kansas will look to make a statement in Wednesday night's matchup with Texas Tech. The 8 p.m. game can be found on ESPN+.
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