Horned Frogs Fast Break

A contested close-range attempt from Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Jailah Pelly grazed off the rim. Olivia Miles leaped from the low block and pulled down the rebound with her right hand. Miles started up the floor. A whistle blew. Timeout.

In exhaustion and exaltation, the two-time All-American bent over at midcourt, pulling her jersey over her face, as the home crowd rose to its feet.

By the 3:27 mark of the fourth quarter in Tuesday night’s 109-54 blowout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Miles had compiled 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to secure her third straight triple-double and the ninth of her collegiate career, tying her for third all-time in NCAA history. Only four-time All-WNBA guard Sabrina Ionescu and two-time AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark have recorded more.

Already subbed out and applauding from the bench was graduate forward Marta Suárez, who on the same night posted 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for her first career triple-double. The pair made NCAA history: never before had two teammates both achieved the feat in the same game against a Division I opponent.

Olivia Miles, left, and Marta Suárez, right, became the first teammates in NCAA history to record triple-doubles in the same game against a Division I opponent during a Dec. 16 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

“This stuff doesn’t happen,” head coach Mark Campbell said after the game. “This is not normal. But I’m loving it.”

For Miles, the accomplishment was secondary to simply staying on the court. After multiple injury-plagued seasons at Notre Dame, the graduate transfer has found a new appreciation for being on the floor.

“I’m satisfied because I’m healthy at the end of every game,” Miles said. “It doesn’t matter if I have zero points or 25 points. Being hurt has taught me to value each possession, each game, and if I make it through 40 minutes healthy, it’s a win for me. These things are just bonuses.”

Those bonuses are piling up at the perfect time. But Miles and Suárez aren’t the only ones thriving. Production across the roster, along with the on-and off-the-court chemistry, just a dozen games in, has been impressive. For Suárez, sharing the historic night with Miles made the moment even sweeter.

“To be able to do it with her makes it so much more special,” Suárez said. “She’s just such a good teammate and such a good friend. I love her to death.”

With Saturday’s Big 12 opener against Kansas State looming, the Horned Frogs seem to have found their stride, if they ever lost it at all. The win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff counted for ninth-ranked TCU’s 25th in 26 games dating back to early February of last season.

The loss that immediately preceded that dominant stretch? Kansas State.

What will we see against the Wildcats?

One of only two Big 12 opponents to defeat TCU across the Frogs’ 21 regular-season and conference tournament contests in 2024-25, Kansas State has stumbled out of the starting blocks in 2025-26.

With last year’s second-leading scorer Serena Sundell on to the WNBA and 2024-25 All-Big 12 forward Temira Poindexter having graduated, the Wildcats sit only a game over .500 at 7-6, with non-Power 4 losses to South Dakota, South Dakota State, Green Bay and San Diego State. Even still, Campbell warns against taking unranked K-State lightly. The Wildcats were able to rally from a fourth-quarter deficit to down No. 14 Ole Miss, 61-60, on Dec. 7, a result that stands as the Rebels’ lone defeat of the season.

“Coach [Jeff] Mittie’s an elite college basketball coach,” Campbell said of the former longtime TCU head coach. “He maximizes his group every year. This year, they changed their style of play a little bit. Obviously, they had Ayoka Lee over the last couple of years, and she was one of the most dominant centers in college basketball. And so, he’s been in the league a long time. He knows the Big 12. He is gonna have his group locked in and ready to go.”

TCU should have reinforcements coming into the conference opener. Campbell said the team expects to have graduate guard Maddie Scherr back in the lineup Saturday after she sat out Tuesday night’s win. Kennedy Basham’s status remains up in the air after the senior center hurt her left ankle in the second half. She ended the game on the bench, an ice pack wrapped around it. 

“My guess is she tweaked it and she’ll be fine,” Campbell said.

Should Basham be limited or unable to go, expect an expanded role for graduate forward Natalie Mazurek, who played a season-high 11 minutes against the Golden Lions on Tuesday.

Donovyn Hunter has hit at least one three-pointer in each of TCU’s 12 games this season, reaching double figures in all but two contests. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Elsewhere for the Horned Frogs, keep an eye on junior guard Donovyn Hunter, who is playing efficient basketball to spark a career season to date. The Oregon native’s nightly averages of 14 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals are all personal bests, as are her 52.4 percent field-goal rate, 41.4 percent mark from three-point range and 77.8 percent rate from the free-throw line.

First tip Saturday is set for 4 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.

“It is a great opportunity, December 20, to come pack the Scholl,” Campbell said, “and make sure this team and this group has a great crowd to get the Big 12 season started. I know Fort Worth will show out, they have. But let’s get this party started this Saturday.”

— Corey Zapata-Smith

No. 8 TCU has already entered the record books this season, with last Thursday’s 80-32 toppling of Tarleton State representing a program-best 28th consecutive home win. Three days later, head coach Mark Campbell earned his 100th career victory in a 93-57 rout of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the 19th Maggie Dixon Classic. 

The win over UTRGV included a second straight double-double from leading scorer Marta Suárez, the current Big 12 Player of the Week. Her latest outing marked a third straight 20-point game for the graduate forward, who opened the stretch with a season-high 26 on 10-of-18 shooting in a 69-59 road win over then 10th-ranked NC State two Sundays ago. 

Graduate guard Olivia Miles, meanwhile, is delivering one no-look dime after the next in averaging what would be a career-best 7.5 assists and 18.3 points per game for the two-time All-American.

Off to their third 6-0 start in as many years under Campbell, the Horned Frogs now shift focus to the Cancún Challenge — an early-season tournament held at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya near Cancún, Mexico. On Thanksgiving night, the Frogs will face Richmond, which entered the season as an AP top-25 team, followed by UAB the next evening.

“And so we’ve got two games in two days,” Campbell said at Sunday’s postgame press conference. “The other thing I really like about it: it kind of gets you ready for the Big 12 Tournament, where you’ve got to play a game and then turn around in 24 hours, you’ve got to lace them up and do it again.” 

Marta Suárez is averaging a career-high 19 points per game as the Frogs near the end of November. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

Six games into the campaign and with more than half its roster newcomers, the Frogs have a chance to keep building camaraderie on and off the floor during the excursion, Campbell added. 

After its trip to the Yucatán Peninsula, TCU returns home for four more nonconference games — against Incarnate Word, UTEP, Jacksonville and Arkansas-Pine Bluff — before opening conference play against Kansas State on Dec. 20, in the friendly confines of Schollmaier Arena. 

Scouting the Spiders

Outside of a Nov. 7 matchup against No. 4 Texas, the Spiders have rolled to double-digit wins in each of their other five contests, including on the road against 2025 NCAA Tournament teams William & Mary and Columbia. 

Richmond even led the Longhorns through a quarter — in Austin, no less — but went scoreless for the first four minutes of the second and saw Texas pull away after halftime. 

Even still, the Spiders showcase a dangerous veteran roster with forward Maggie Doogan at the center of it. The 6-foot-2 senior is coming off an Atlantic 10 Player of the Year campaign and is logging 36.2 minutes per game, 17th in the country in the early going, while averaging 23.2 points, which ranks top 10 nationally. 

Senior guard Rachel Ullstrom also returns from a Spiders squad that last year earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament win over ninth-seeded Georgia Tech. Ullstrom, the 2023-24 Atlantic 10 Sixth Woman of the Year and an all-conference player last season, ranks second on the team to Doogan in points (13.2) as well as rebounds (5.2).

The question is whether the Spiders can rise to — and maintain — TCU’s level of play. The Frogs have rattled off seven regular-season wins over ranked teams since the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Richmond is looking for its first victory over a ranked opponent in 19 years. 

How About the Blazers?

Next up is a UAB squad built very differently — smaller and without a senior atop or particularly near the top of the scoring column. The Blazers’ offense, energized by sophomore Eleecia Carter, junior Cali Smallwood and first-year Sofia Munoz at 15.6, 14.2 and 11 points per game, respectively, is largely guard-driven.  

The Blazers are also an excellent free-throw shooting team, knocking down 85.4 percent of their attempts from the line this season, second in the American Conference to only Rice’s 86 percent. Carter forces the issue herself much of the time, reaching the stripe 5.2 times per game, more than twice the rate of any other UAB player this season, and she’s knocked down 90.2 percent of her free throws for her career, to boot. 

UAB can take the ball away, with Munoz, Carter and senior forward Monae’ Duffy combining for 5.2 steals per game for head coach Randy Norton, who’s in his 13th year at the helm and 213-162 for his career. But with three losses already on the season, two being by double-digits and the third against Division II program West Alabama, the Blazers will be prohibitive Black Friday underdogs.

— Corey Zapata-Smith

No. 17 TCU Women’s Basketball closed its season-opening homestand on Wednesday night, dominating Tennessee State 122–39 after earlier decisive wins over Sam Houston and North Carolina A&T.  

The most recent result was not only impressive but historic. The Horned Frogs’ 83-point margin of victory is the largest in TCU men’s or women’s basketball history, and the 122 points mark the program’s second-highest total against a Division I opponent in nearly five decades. 

“In transition, this team is explosive,” head coach Mark Campbell said to open Wednesday’s postgame press conference. “If we can defend and rebound, there are just so many playmakers running around the court and so many skilled players. It’s been three games in a row now where the ball is zinging all over the place.”

The Frogs were efficient and balanced during the midweek rout, going 17-for-27 (63 percent) from beyond the arc. No team in the country shot better than 39 percent from three over the course of 2024–25. Guard Maddie Scherr sank all six of her three-point attempts and finished with a game-high 22 points — her most since Dec. 21, 2023 — after missing all of last season with injury. 

“You’re just starting to see what Maddie’s able to do. She’s always been one of the best guards in college basketball,” Campbell said, noting that the now graduate student Scherr was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Kentucky’s Ryle High School. 

Forward Natalie Mazurek, who averaged four minutes per game last season (and never exceeded four points during her first 16 games as a Horned Frog), knocked down three three-pointers Wednesday — all within the final five and a half minutes of regulation — bringing the home crowd roaring to its feet each time. 

“Special shout out for Nat, who works her tail off every day, competes every day, has been a huge part of our program the last two years,” Campbell said, “so really cool for her to get some minutes and be able to stick shots.” 

Contributions off the bench will be key if the Frogs are to capture what would be an impressive road win over No. 10 NC State on Sunday afternoon. 

Fresh off a record-setting blowout, the Frogs set their sights on a tough road test against No. 10 NC State. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

The Wolfpack, a Final Four team two seasons ago, fell to the Frogs last year at Schollmaier Arena in a 76-73 thriller that vaulted TCU into the AP Top 25, setting the stage for an all-time year. 

With Sunday’s rematch in Raleigh all but promising to challenge the Frogs in new ways, here are three things to watch as TCU looks to build on a stellar start. 

Will off-court chemistry continue to show?

The Horned Frogs aren’t just among the nation’s top 10 in scoring this season — they also rank fourth in assists, averaging 24.7 per game. The team has had a different leading scorer in each of its three wins.

“We all get along so well. We hang out outside of basketball,” Mazurek said. “We enjoy spending time with each other, and I feel like that plays a part on the court.”

Natalie Mazurek knocked down three of the four shots she took from three-point range Wednesday night against Tennessee State. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

“You see us on the court, vibing and just having fun, laughing with each other,” echoed Olivia Miles after posting her first double-double of the season Wednesday. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. It’s bigger than basketball. These girls and these relationships last forever. We just aren’t afraid to be ourselves.” 

NC State will be without guard Saniya Rivers, a two-time All-ACC defender who was the No. 8 overall pick in April’s WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. The Wolfpack haven’t been known for elite team defense under Texas native Wes Moore — in his 13 years as head coach, they’ve never ranked in the top 25 in scoring defense. But they do bring offensive firepower, with four players averaging double figures, including junior guard Zoe Brooks and junior forward Khamil Pierre, who each average a double-double through three games. 

Will early top-15 showdowns for NC State factor in?

The Wolfpack handled Maine on Tuesday night, 66-47, in their first contest of the season at James T. Valvano Arena — the storied venue named for the famous late coach.

NC State’s other two early-season matchups, against No. 12 Tennessee and No. 8 USC, were both decided by a single possession.

“They’re not going to be nervous,” Campbell said. “That program has been at such a high level for years. And so they’ve played in tons of big games. They’re going to be well prepared.”

TCU enters Sunday with three days’ rest and holds a trio of wins by 39-plus points. The Frogs don’t face another top-25 opponent until Jan. 7, when they visit No. 20 Oklahoma State.

How will the Frogs fare in the paint? 

TCU’s first loss last season, an 85-52 defeat to South Carolina at Dickies Arena in December, was largely decided in the paint. The Frogs were outrebounded 36-26 overall and 8-6 on the offensive glass. 

Looking ahead to Sunday, NC State’s Pierre — a 6-foot-2 transfer from Vanderbilt — has been a beast on the boards early in the season, stacking up 14, 18 and 10 rebounds over the Wolfpack’s first three games. 

The Frogs’ bigs have stepped up as well. Senior center Kennedy Basham recorded six blocks against North Carolina A&T on Nov. 6, tied for the second most of her career, while fellow transfer and sophomore center Clara Silva leads the team with 8.7 rebounds per game. 

How TCU’s frontcourt matches up with Pierre and NC State’s size and athleticism in the paint could be a decisive factor on Sunday. 

When the Frogs return to Schollmaier for a 6:30 p.m. tip against Tarleton State next Thursday, they’ll be aiming to extend their program record to 28 consecutive home victories.

— Corey Zapata-Smith

They say defense wins championships, and No. 17 TCU loaded up on it through the transfer portal this offseason.

Olivia Miles led Notre Dame with 5.8 assists per game last season, helping the Fighting Irish reach their fourth straight Sweet 16. Photo by Zach Campbell | TCU Athletics

Chief among the newcomers is senior center Kennedy Basham, who arrives in Fort Worth after a 2024-25 season at Arizona State, where she led the team in defensive rebounds, totaling 34 more than any other Sun Devil, and averaged 2.6 blocks per game, good for second in the Big 12.

She’s not the only defensive-minded addition. The Frogs also brought in senior guard Veronica Sheffey, who stacked up seven steals in a three-game span en route to Mountain West Conference Tournament MVP honors, as she willed San Diego State to the Big Dance for the first time in 13 years.

And that’s not to mention guard Olivia Miles, a graduate student, whose 15.4 points per game last season marked a career best, punctuating a Notre Dame career that will all but certainly see the two-time AP All-American inducted into the program’s Ring of Honor.

With those reinforcements, plus several key veteran holdovers from the 2024-25 squad that reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history, TCU enters Year 3 of the Mark Campbell era, its roster rich in talent.

What changed since last season

Nothing on the coaching front. Associate head coach Xavier Lopez and assistants Minyon Moore, Nia Jackson, Nolan Wilson and Jessie Craig all return under Coach Campbell, along with Adeola Akomolafe, director of recruiting operations and student-athlete development. 

The roster, however, is reloaded. Last season’s Big 12 Player of the Year, Hailey Van Lith, went 11th overall in April’s WNBA Draft after leading the Frogs in points and assists. If a player in the 2025 portal class can match that level of offensive firepower, it’s Miles, projected by ESPN as a top-2 pick. 

Transfers Marta Suárez, right, and Veronica Sheffey bring NCAA Tournament experience to a veteran TCU roster. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

TCU adds size and experience up front to replace defensive stalwart Sedona Prince ’25 MLA. Graduate student and forward Marta Suárez joins the Frogs with 80 career Power Four starts, while 6-foot-7 sophomore center Clara Silva arrives from Kentucky, giving TCU another post presence alongside Basham and first-year center Emily Hunter. Graduate student and forward Natalie Mazurek returns for what will be her second year with the Frogs after transferring from South Dakota. 

Helping to counter the departure of sharpshooter Madison Conner ’24 is graduate student and guard Maddie Scherr, who missed all of last season with injury. The former Kentucky Wildcat brings a proven scoring touch: in 2022-23, she led the SEC by making 92 percent of her free throws, and her 1.4 three-pointers per game in 2023-24 marked a career high. 

Sophomore guard Taliyah Parker signed on after a season at Texas A&M, where she averaged one steal over 18 minutes per game, adding defensive energy off the bench. First-year players Sarah Portlock, a 6-foot-8 Australian center, and guard Clara Bielefeld, who made history as the youngest competitor on Germany’s senior national team at the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Championship, bolster TCU’s depth. The Frogs will be without senior forward Aaliyah Roberson for the duration of the season after she suffered a torn ACL in the spring. The former San Antonio area high school standout still holds one year of NCAA eligibility.

Biggest storyline heading into the season

How will the backcourt gel? Five of the Frogs’ six leading scorers last season were guards, but only junior Donovyn Hunter and senior Taylor Bigby return from that group. 

On paper, TCU boasts a dynamic mix of playmakers, but how quickly this unit develops chemistry will go a long way in determining the effectiveness of an offense that could be largely driven by guard play. 

Are the Frogs better positioned than a year ago?

Very possibly, and for the rest of the Big 12, that’s a scary thought. The Horned Frogs swept the conference titles last season, topping three-time national champions Baylor in both the regular-season finale, which left TCU a game ahead at 16-2 in conference, and the Big 12 championship game just a week later.

The Frogs retain the top-end talent and deep bench that carried them to new heights a season ago, and the stability of the coaching staff serves as another plus as TCU sets out to defend its conference crown.

Player to watch

Donovyn Hunter. She may not finish as the team’s top scorer, but the ex-Oregon State Beaver contributes on both ends of the floor. She showed her sharpshooting potential by hitting all four of her three-point attempts — and each of her six field goals — in TCU’s 85-70 NCAA Tournament win against Louisville and appears to be locked in for a breakout campaign, routinely pacing the team in preseason sprint drills.

Newcomer who could make the biggest difference

Suárez is perhaps the favorite to lead TCU’s frontcourt in scoring, having averaged double figures for Cal in each of the past two seasons. But the answer here has to be Miles. Among the more impressive numbers from the former Fighting Irish star last year: Her 40.6 percent mark from three — second best in the ACC — represented a jump of more than 13 points from her previous career high.

Statistic to watch

Turnover ratio. TCU lost the turnover battle in each of its four losses last season.

For a starting group that featured three of the Big 12’s top six players in offensive rating in 2024–25, ball security was one of its few weaknesses. The Frogs’ 12.4 giveaways per game were lowest in the conference, but the miscues proved costly in key moments. Tightening up — especially with eight newcomers among 14 total players — will again be essential to sustaining success in March, and maybe into April.

Toughest stretch on the schedule

The Frogs’ final six regular-season conference matchups, between Feb. 12 and March 1, include three against preseason AP Top 25 teams: No. 16 Baylor, West Virginia (receiving votes), No. 14 Iowa State, Houston, Cincinnati and a second meeting with No. 16 Baylor.

What success looks like this season

Dare I say a trip to Phoenix for the NCAA Women’s Final Four? For a team that finished last in the Big 12 with a 1-17 league record just three seasons ago, it sounds crazy. And yet, with a talented but balanced roster and a phenom guard leading the way, it feels within reach.

One bold prediction

The Frogs this season take the next step, reaching the program’s first Final Four behind a first-team All-America-caliber campaign from Miles.

— Corey Zapata-Smith