Cooke Selected to Preseason All-Big 12 Team
October 08, 2026 01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Senior guard Gia Cooke of the West Virginia University women's basketball team has earned a spot on the 2026-27 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, the conference announced Thursday.
Additionally, the Mountaineers were selected to finish fourth in the preseason poll. League coaches voted on the awards and poll and could not vote for their own team.
The Preseason All-Big 12 selection is the first of Cooke's career. Last season she was named to the all-conference team after averaging a team-leading 15 points per game. Cooke scored 525 total points last season, becoming just the 30th 500-point scorer in a season. Her 59 three-pointers, 54 assists and 34 steals also marked career highs.
Oklahoma State was selected as the favorite in the league's preseason poll, while the Cowgirls Audi Crooks was named the Conference's Preseason Player of the Year.
A complete preview of the season will take place as the Conference returns to Kansas City's T-Mobile Center for the Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days from Tuesday, Oct. 20, to Wednesday, Oct. 21. Each institution's men's and women's basketball programs will participate on the same day, creating a unified platform to highlight the depth and strength of the league. The event will air each day on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT, with additional coverage throughout the day on ESPN+.
2026-27 league action is set to commence Saturday, Dec. 19. The regular season will be followed by the 2027 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament, which will take place in Kansas City's T-Mobile Center for the fourth consecutive season. The event is scheduled to take place from March 3-7/8.
The Big 12 had eight teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, matching the league record set in 2008. It marked the third consecutive season that the league has sent at least seven teams to March Madness. The Conference finished the regular season as one of just two leagues nationally to have 75% of its teams ranked within the top 60 of the NET and had the second-best regular season record among Power Four leagues in games against other P4 teams.
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Liv McGill, Oklahoma State
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jessie-May Hall, TCU
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Team
McKinna Brackens, Arizona State
Taliah Scott, Baylor*
Delaney Gibb, BYU*
Zyanna Walker, Colorado
Jaliya Davis, Kansas
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas*
Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State*
Liv McGill, Oklahoma State
Clara Silva, TCU
Gia Cooke, West Virginia
Players are sorted alphabetically by school
*Indicates unanimous selection
Additionally, the Mountaineers were selected to finish fourth in the preseason poll. League coaches voted on the awards and poll and could not vote for their own team.
The Preseason All-Big 12 selection is the first of Cooke's career. Last season she was named to the all-conference team after averaging a team-leading 15 points per game. Cooke scored 525 total points last season, becoming just the 30th 500-point scorer in a season. Her 59 three-pointers, 54 assists and 34 steals also marked career highs.
Oklahoma State was selected as the favorite in the league's preseason poll, while the Cowgirls Audi Crooks was named the Conference's Preseason Player of the Year.
A complete preview of the season will take place as the Conference returns to Kansas City's T-Mobile Center for the Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days from Tuesday, Oct. 20, to Wednesday, Oct. 21. Each institution's men's and women's basketball programs will participate on the same day, creating a unified platform to highlight the depth and strength of the league. The event will air each day on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT, with additional coverage throughout the day on ESPN+.
2026-27 league action is set to commence Saturday, Dec. 19. The regular season will be followed by the 2027 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament, which will take place in Kansas City's T-Mobile Center for the fourth consecutive season. The event is scheduled to take place from March 3-7/8.
The Big 12 had eight teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, matching the league record set in 2008. It marked the third consecutive season that the league has sent at least seven teams to March Madness. The Conference finished the regular season as one of just two leagues nationally to have 75% of its teams ranked within the top 60 of the NET and had the second-best regular season record among Power Four leagues in games against other P4 teams.
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Oklahoma State (7) – 215 points
- TCU (6) – 212 points
- Baylor (2) – 199 points
- West Virginia (1) – 186 points
- Kansas – 160 points
- Arizona State – 143 points
- BYU – 137 points
- Colorado – 126 points
- K-State – 121 points
- Texas Tech – 103 points
- Iowa State – 78 points
- Utah – 77 points
- Arizona – 55 points
- Cincinnati – 43 points
- Houston – 38 points
- UCF – 27 points
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Liv McGill, Oklahoma State
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Jessie-May Hall, TCU
2026-27 Big 12 Women's Basketball Preseason Team
McKinna Brackens, Arizona State
Taliah Scott, Baylor*
Delaney Gibb, BYU*
Zyanna Walker, Colorado
Jaliya Davis, Kansas
S'Mya Nichols, Kansas*
Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State*
Liv McGill, Oklahoma State
Clara Silva, TCU
Gia Cooke, West Virginia
Players are sorted alphabetically by school
*Indicates unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
G
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