Oklahoma State University Athletics
October 30, 2026 | Cowgirl Basketball
When the Oklahoma State women's basketball team takes the court for the 2026-27 season, it will do so as the preseason Big 12 Conference favorite for the first time in program history. That's just the start of what could be many firsts for the 2026-27 Cowgirls.Â
The preseason distinction is a reflection of the previous four seasons under head coach Jacie Hoyt, who has steadily returned the program to national prominence since she arrived in Stillwater. The Cowgirls are coming off a 24-10 season that saw them secure the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2021.Â
OSU reeled in the nation's unanimous top transfer class, which features Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Audi Crooks and Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year Liv McGill. The nine transfers and two freshmen make up the 11 newcomers who join a roster built around three-time All-Big 12 performer Stailee Heard, the lone returner from 2025-26 who has made 95 starts as a Cowgirl.Â
For some, the outside noise and high preseason rankings could be seen as pressure. For Cowgirl Basketball, it's an opportunity. A chance to do something that's never been done before at OSU, with a roster built to embrace the moment.Â
Hoyt and her staff crafted a difficult nonconference slate to go with a rising Big 12 women's basketball league that ensures the Cowgirls will be battle-tested come March. Nearly half of OSU's regular-season games come against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including the program-first trip to Columbia, S.C., to face South Carolina, the NCAA runner-up in each of the last two seasons, in a contest that will be televised on ABC. That contest is one of OSU's 12 nationally televised games this year, making the Cowgirls one of the most visible teams in the Big 12 this season.Â
Bridging the past and present is Heard, who enters her fourth season in Stillwater as the face for Cowgirl Basketball. A 2025 honorable mention All-American, the Oklahoma native has averaged in double figures in each of her previous three seasons and brings continuity and culture to a locker room full of fresh faces. The 2026-27 season offers a chance for Heard to etch her name even further into the Cowgirl record books.Â
Crooks made OSU history after just four months in Stillwater when she was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the first Cowgirl ever to do so. The three-time All-American from Iowa State enters her first season in America's Brightest Orange looking to cement her place among the Big 12's best to ever do it. The 6-foot-3 center averaged 25.8 points and shot 64.9% from the field last season, marks that ranked in the top two in the nation. She holds the Big 12 record for fewest games needed to reach 2,000 career points (89) and gives OSU a dominant paint presence that opponents will fear.Â
In McGill, OSU has an elite true point guard who has shown an explosive ability to score in her previous two seasons at Florida. The Minneapolis native was an All-Southeastern Conference selection last season who ranked inside the top 30 nationally in eight different statistics, including ninth nationally in assists per game (6.3). She is the first Cowgirl to be named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year since Marisha Wallace in 2013-14.Â
While Crooks and McGill garnered the top spots in OSU's portal haul, the Cowgirls also secured three players who appeared in USA Today's Top 100 portal rankings: Ellie Brueggemann (No. 36), Yuting Deng (No. 80) and Nene Ndiaye (No. 95).Â
Brueggemann, an Owasso, Oklahoma, native, returns to her home state for her senior season after three standout years at Lindenwood. She averaged 14.0 points and 3.1 assists last season and shot 44% from beyond the arc, good for seventh nationally.Â
Deng adds length and versatility while bringing SEC and Big 12 experience to the squad after stops at Baylor and Auburn. She featured in 33 games at Baylor last year and averaged 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds.Â
Ndiaye is a Swiss Army knife whose size and versatility allow her to play on the wing or slide into the frontcourt as needed. The Saly, Senegal, native led Rutgers in scoring (14.8 ppg), rebounding (5.3 rpg) and steals (1.4 spg) last season.Â
Callin Hake, a late-summer addition to the roster, brings 131 games of Big Ten experience and three NCAA Tournament appearances to the team. A team captain at Nebraska last season, she averaged 7.2 points and dished out 116 assists on the year.Â
Talexa Weeter, the Division II Player of the Year a year ago at Fort Hays State, gives OSU another proven scorer following a season that saw her lead all of Division II with 27.5 points per game.
LA Sneed is a former five-star recruit who arrives with a season of Big 12 experience already under her belt after being named to the All-Big 12 Freshman team a year ago at Utah.Â
Another perimeter shooter, Zoe Canfield made 8-of-16 attempts from 3-point range as a freshman before injury limited her to 10 games last season at Missouri State.Â
Freshmen Mojca Jelenc and Addisyn Bollinger will also play a role for this year's team. Jelenc, a 6-foot-7 center, brings international experience to the roster while Bollinger was one of the most prolific shooters in Frenship High School history.Â
For a program that's spent four seasons climbing, 2026-27 offers a chance to reach new heights, and to write a few more firsts along the way.Â
The preseason distinction is a reflection of the previous four seasons under head coach Jacie Hoyt, who has steadily returned the program to national prominence since she arrived in Stillwater. The Cowgirls are coming off a 24-10 season that saw them secure the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2021.Â
OSU reeled in the nation's unanimous top transfer class, which features Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Audi Crooks and Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year Liv McGill. The nine transfers and two freshmen make up the 11 newcomers who join a roster built around three-time All-Big 12 performer Stailee Heard, the lone returner from 2025-26 who has made 95 starts as a Cowgirl.Â
For some, the outside noise and high preseason rankings could be seen as pressure. For Cowgirl Basketball, it's an opportunity. A chance to do something that's never been done before at OSU, with a roster built to embrace the moment.Â
Hoyt and her staff crafted a difficult nonconference slate to go with a rising Big 12 women's basketball league that ensures the Cowgirls will be battle-tested come March. Nearly half of OSU's regular-season games come against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including the program-first trip to Columbia, S.C., to face South Carolina, the NCAA runner-up in each of the last two seasons, in a contest that will be televised on ABC. That contest is one of OSU's 12 nationally televised games this year, making the Cowgirls one of the most visible teams in the Big 12 this season.Â
Bridging the past and present is Heard, who enters her fourth season in Stillwater as the face for Cowgirl Basketball. A 2025 honorable mention All-American, the Oklahoma native has averaged in double figures in each of her previous three seasons and brings continuity and culture to a locker room full of fresh faces. The 2026-27 season offers a chance for Heard to etch her name even further into the Cowgirl record books.Â
Crooks made OSU history after just four months in Stillwater when she was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, the first Cowgirl ever to do so. The three-time All-American from Iowa State enters her first season in America's Brightest Orange looking to cement her place among the Big 12's best to ever do it. The 6-foot-3 center averaged 25.8 points and shot 64.9% from the field last season, marks that ranked in the top two in the nation. She holds the Big 12 record for fewest games needed to reach 2,000 career points (89) and gives OSU a dominant paint presence that opponents will fear.Â
In McGill, OSU has an elite true point guard who has shown an explosive ability to score in her previous two seasons at Florida. The Minneapolis native was an All-Southeastern Conference selection last season who ranked inside the top 30 nationally in eight different statistics, including ninth nationally in assists per game (6.3). She is the first Cowgirl to be named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year since Marisha Wallace in 2013-14.Â
While Crooks and McGill garnered the top spots in OSU's portal haul, the Cowgirls also secured three players who appeared in USA Today's Top 100 portal rankings: Ellie Brueggemann (No. 36), Yuting Deng (No. 80) and Nene Ndiaye (No. 95).Â
Brueggemann, an Owasso, Oklahoma, native, returns to her home state for her senior season after three standout years at Lindenwood. She averaged 14.0 points and 3.1 assists last season and shot 44% from beyond the arc, good for seventh nationally.Â
Deng adds length and versatility while bringing SEC and Big 12 experience to the squad after stops at Baylor and Auburn. She featured in 33 games at Baylor last year and averaged 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds.Â
Ndiaye is a Swiss Army knife whose size and versatility allow her to play on the wing or slide into the frontcourt as needed. The Saly, Senegal, native led Rutgers in scoring (14.8 ppg), rebounding (5.3 rpg) and steals (1.4 spg) last season.Â
Callin Hake, a late-summer addition to the roster, brings 131 games of Big Ten experience and three NCAA Tournament appearances to the team. A team captain at Nebraska last season, she averaged 7.2 points and dished out 116 assists on the year.Â
Talexa Weeter, the Division II Player of the Year a year ago at Fort Hays State, gives OSU another proven scorer following a season that saw her lead all of Division II with 27.5 points per game.
LA Sneed is a former five-star recruit who arrives with a season of Big 12 experience already under her belt after being named to the All-Big 12 Freshman team a year ago at Utah.Â
Another perimeter shooter, Zoe Canfield made 8-of-16 attempts from 3-point range as a freshman before injury limited her to 10 games last season at Missouri State.Â
Freshmen Mojca Jelenc and Addisyn Bollinger will also play a role for this year's team. Jelenc, a 6-foot-7 center, brings international experience to the roster while Bollinger was one of the most prolific shooters in Frenship High School history.Â
For a program that's spent four seasons climbing, 2026-27 offers a chance to reach new heights, and to write a few more firsts along the way.Â
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/ Cowgirl BasketballSaturday, October 31
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Tuesday, October 27
Tuesday, October 27
