The 35-Year Drought Has Ended: How A Win Over Baylor Signifies the Growth of TCU Women's Basketball

The rise of the Frogs under Mark Campbell has been nothing short of incredible.
TCU women's basketball head coach Mark Campbell claps in excitement in a win over Baylor on January 26, 2025.
TCU women's basketball head coach Mark Campbell claps in excitement in a win over Baylor on January 26, 2025. / Brian McLean, On Assignment Photo/TCU Horned Frogs On SI
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TCU women's basketball defeated Baylor Sunday for the first time since February 28, 1990, ending a 37-game losing streak against the Bears.

While it was a singular win for the Frogs, this moment helped put into perspective how much this program has changed.

When head coach Mark Campbell took this program over in 2023, TCU women's basketball was not in a good spot.

The Frogs were coming off back-to-back finishes at dead last in the Big 12 and had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2010.

With almost no expectations and almost no NIL resources in the program, TCU was not supposed to have much success, especially right away.

Campbell came in and changed this almost instantly.

The new head coach from Sacramento State brought in one of the best transfer classes in the country:

  • Madison Conner (Arizona)
  • Agnes Emma-Nnopu (Stanford)
  • Sydney Harris (Central Michigan)
  • Una Jovanovic (Cal State Fullerton)
  • Jaden Owens (Baylor)
  • Sedona Prince (Oregon)

The Frogs surpised the world, winning their first 14 games of the 2023-24 season, the longest winning streak in program history.

That was until Mark Campbell's squad had several longterm injuries in the span of two weeks, losing four contributors and three starters.

With not enough scholarship players to healthily field a roster, TCU had to turn to open tryouts to continue their season.

In this event known as the "UnderFrogs", TCU added four walk-ons that helped them finish with a second round exit in the NIT Tournament.

With a relatively healthy roster again beginning the 2024-25 season, the Frogs, despite being initially unranked, felt confident with their team.

Campbell again brought in a stacked transfer portal class to add to an already talented core:

  • Taylor Bigby (USC)
  • Donovyn Hunter (Oregon State)
  • Natalie Mazurek (South Dakota)
  • Deasia Merrill (Georgia State)
  • Maddie Scherr (Kentucky)
  • Hailey Van Lith (LSU)

The program records only continued from here.

The Frogs started 15-1 for their best start in history, with standouts Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Madison Conner having some of the best seasons TCU women's basketball has ever seen.

As this team kept winning games, the school from Fort Worth started to be put on the nation's radar.

With big ranked wins over No. 13 NC State, No. 3 Notre Dame, and No. 23 Utah, the Frogs tied a program record No. 9 ranking in the AP Poll heading into the game vs. their rival from Waco.

With a record of 19-2 (7-1 Big 12), a big matchup against No. 25 Baylor set up a special game in Schollmaier Arena on Sunday.

The Bears carried a 37-game win streak in the rivalry spanning almost 35 years to Fort Worth Sunday hoping to continue this history.

The Frogs, did not let that happen, breaking this streak in a 80-75 win, cementing more how special of a group this is.

In such a historic win, TCU broke even more records for their season.

Breaking this streak felt more than just a game or a special moment but a signifier of how quick this program has turned around in just two years under Mark Campbell.

Attendance numbers keep increasing, and people are starting to realize that women's basketball is becoming outstanding in Fort Worth.

The best part for the Frogs is that this success is not far from having to end this season.

With a little over a month left in the regular season, TCU is in a good spot to win the Big 12, make the NCAA Tournament and possibly host a couple games to spark a postseason run.

What Mark Campbell has done at Texas Christian University is nothing short of spectacular, and Sunday was just another sign of that.


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Nicholas Girimonte
NICHOLAS GIRIMONTE

Nick Girimonte, a senior at Texas Christian University majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Journalism, is passionate about media, storytelling, and sports. Originally from Windsor, CA, Nick moved to Fort Worth, TX in 2021 to pursue his career goals. He has gained diverse hands-on experience as an on-air talent for Frogs Today, covering TCU sports, and as a writer and podcast host for TCU Horned Frogs on SI. Nick specializes in covering both men’s and women’s basketball. His podcast, “Frog Fever,” covers TCU and Big 12 Men’s Basketball. Additionally, he works with the TCU Football video crew, contributing to game footage and analysis. Nick has also held roles with the Texas Rangers, Barstool Sports, and Austin Industries, where he worked on social media content, event planning, and brand visibility. Nick is excited to contribute to TCU Horned Frogs On SI and looks forward to his next sports communication journey after graduation in May 2025.