Best Baylor Bears Women's Basketball Players of All Time

Last Updated on May 30, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Baylor women’s basketball rose from a modest program into one of the sport’s true heavyweights, especially in the Kim Mulkey era. The Bears won national titles in 2005, 2012, and 2019, built long runs of Big 12 dominance, and produced a stream of All-Americans, national award winners, and retired jerseys. That gives Baylor one of the deepest legend pools in women’s college basketball. (Baylor)

1. Brittney Griner

Years with Baylor: 2009–2013
Position: Center
Notable achievements:
- Led Baylor to the 2012 national championship and 40-0 season
- National Player of the Year-level superstar
- Only player in NCAA women’s history with 2,000 points and 500 blocks
- No. 42 jersey retired by Baylor

Brittney Griner is the easiest No. 1 pick on this list. She changed games at both ends, gave Baylor one of the most dominant centers women’s basketball has ever seen, and anchored the unbeaten 2012 title team. Her career line of 3,283 points, 1,305 rebounds, and 748 blocks is absurd on its own, but the bigger point is that she pushed Baylor from elite program to national force. (Baylor)

2. Odyssey Sims

Years with Baylor: 2010–2014
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Three-time All-American
- Starter on the 2012 national championship team
- Baylor career leader in 3-pointers made
- No. 0 jersey retired by Baylor

Odyssey Sims belongs near the very top because she was the backcourt engine for one of Baylor’s greatest eras. She finished with 2,533 points and 641 assists, helped Baylor go 140-10 during her four seasons, and as a senior set the Baylor and Big 12 single-season scoring record with 1,062 points. Few guards in program history were this explosive, this accomplished, and this central to winning. (Baylor)

3. Sophia Young

Years with Baylor: 2002–2006
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- 2005 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Two-time consensus All-American
- Led Baylor to its first national championship in 2005
- No. 33 jersey retired by Baylor

Sophia Young was the player who first took Baylor to the top of the sport. She was Mulkey’s first true superstar in Waco, won on the biggest stage, and left school as one of the most decorated players in program history. Young’s mix of interior scoring, rebounding, consistency, and title-level impact makes her one of the pillars of Baylor basketball history. (Baylor)

4. Nina Davis

Years with Baylor: 2013–2017
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- Four-time All-American by various outlets
- One of six Baylor players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
- No. 13 jersey retired by Baylor
- Four-year star on Big 12 title teams

Nina Davis gave Baylor elite production almost from the moment she arrived. She finished with 2,170 points and 1,043 rebounds, ranking among the best in program history in both categories, and she earned national recognition across all four seasons. She was not part of a national title team, which keeps her below the top three, but her body of work is still clearly legends-tier. (Baylor)

5. NaLyssa Smith

Years with Baylor: 2018–2022
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- 2022 Wade Trophy winner
- WBCA All-America First Team
- Big 12 Player of the Year
- Starter on the 2019 national championship team

NaLyssa Smith has one of the strongest peak résumés in Baylor history. By her senior year she was one of the best players in the country, collecting national awards and first-team All-America honors while leading Baylor in scoring and rebounding. The fact that she also started on the 2019 championship team gives her a major boost in this ranking. (Baylor)

6. Lauren Cox

Years with Baylor: 2016–2020
Position: Forward/Center
Notable achievements:
- 2020 AP First-Team All-American
- 2020 Big 12 Player of the Year
- Starter on the 2019 national championship team
- One of Baylor’s best modern two-way frontcourt players

Lauren Cox was one of the most polished and effective bigs Baylor has had. She anchored the interior for the 2019 national champions, protected the rim, scored efficiently, and by her senior season had turned into a consensus national star. Her combination of title impact and all-around ability gives her a very strong case for the top six. (Baylor)

7. Sheila Lambert

Years with Baylor: 2000–2002
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Kodak All-American
- Frances Pomeroy Award winner
- First Baylor era star under Kim Mulkey
- No. 31 jersey retired by Baylor

Sheila Lambert was one of the key players who helped change Baylor from a struggling program into a nationally relevant one. In only two seasons she piled up 1,315 points, 398 assists, and 195 steals, earned All-America recognition, and became one of the first true stars of the Mulkey turnaround. Her résumé is shorter than some others here, but her importance to Baylor history is enormous. (Baylor)

8. Suzie Snider Eppers

Years with Baylor: 1973–1977
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- Pre-NCAA era Baylor icon
- Holds Baylor records of 3,861 points and 2,176 rebounds
- No. 23 jersey retired by Baylor
- Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame member

Suzie Snider Eppers has to be here because her statistical footprint is almost untouchable. Her career totals remain staggering, and Baylor itself has highlighted her as one of the greatest players from the pre-NCAA women’s era. She played in a very different period, which makes direct comparison tricky, but anyone with the school records for both points and rebounds deserves a place among the very best. (Baylor)

9. Danielle Crockrom

Years with Baylor: 1998–2002
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- All-American
- Big 12-era star during Baylor’s turnaround
- Helped lead Baylor to its first NCAA tournament appearance
- Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame inductee

Danielle Crockrom was one of the bridge players who mattered enormously before Baylor became a national champion. She starred during the turnaround from the program’s weaker years into its first real breakthrough under Mulkey, earning All-America honors and helping deliver Baylor’s first NCAA tournament trip. That foundational importance matters a lot in a legends ranking. (Baylor)

10. Melissa Jones

Years with Baylor: 2007–2011
Position: Forward
Notable achievements:
- No. 5 jersey retired by Baylor
- First recipient of the Melissa Jones Hustle and Courage Award
- Respected culture-setter and leader
- Key player on major-winning Baylor teams

Melissa Jones gets the last top-10 spot because Baylor itself made clear how much she meant to the program. She was not placed in the program’s retired-jersey group by accident. Her impact was tied to leadership, toughness, identity, and the standard she helped set within Baylor women’s basketball. That kind of legacy counts on a list like this. (Baylor)

Honorable mentions

Alexis Jones
Sarah Andrews
Te’a Cooper
DiDi Richards

Alexis Jones was a major guard on elite Baylor teams, Sarah Andrews became one of the best recent perimeter stars in the program, Te’a Cooper was a major piece on the 2019 title team, and DiDi Richards became one of Baylor’s most recognizable defensive guards while helping sustain the program’s national standard. (Baylor)

Sources:

Baylor Bears Women’s Basketball Legends