Oklahoma State Picked to Win Big 12 for First Time, Crooks and McGill Earn Preseason Honors

For the first time in program history, Oklahoma State women's basketball enters a season as the Big 12 favorite.

The Cowgirls were picked to finish first in the conference's preseason coaches poll Thursday, receiving seven first-place votes and 215 points to narrowly edge TCU, which received six first-place votes and 212 points.

And the recognition didn't stop with the team. Oklahoma State also claimed two of the conference's biggest individual preseason honors, with Audi Crooks named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and Liv McGill earning Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Crooks becomes the first Oklahoma State player to receive the conference's Preseason Player of the Year award, while McGill is the program's first Preseason Newcomer of the Year since Marisha Wallace in 2013-14.

Both players were also selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, with Crooks earning unanimous recognition.

The announcement represents another milestone in the rapid rise of Oklahoma State under fifth-year head coach Jacie Hoyt.

After reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of Hoyt's first four seasons, including consecutive appearances in 2025 and 2026, the Cowgirls are no longer simply looking to compete near the top of the conference. They're expected to win it.

The preseason voting reflected just how competitive the Big 12 race could be. Oklahoma State finished with 215 points, just three ahead of TCU.

Baylor followed in third with 199 points and two first-place votes, while West Virginia received one first-place vote and finished fourth with 186 points. Kansas rounded out the top five with 160 points.

The Cowgirls' No. 1 selection comes after a 24-win campaign last season that included an NCAA Tournament victory over Princeton before their season ended against eventual national champion UCLA.

Oklahoma State has won 49 games over the past two seasons, the most in any two-year stretch in program history.

Now, with one of the nation's most talented rosters, expectations have reached another level.

Crooks arrives in Stillwater as one of the most accomplished scorers in women's college basketball.

The former Iowa State standout averaged 25.8 points per game last season, ranking second nationally in scoring.

She also enters the 2026-27 season having scored in double figures in 98 consecutive games.

Her addition gives Oklahoma State a dominant interior presence to complement Hoyt's up-tempo offensive system.

Crooks' selection as the program's first Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year also establishes her as one of the conference's most recognizable stars before she plays her first official game in a Cowgirls uniform.

McGill brings another major scoring threat to Stillwater after transferring from Florida.

The former Gators guard averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 assists per game last season while earning first-team All-SEC honors.

Her combination of scoring and playmaking gives Oklahoma State another dynamic offensive weapon alongside Crooks and returning guard Stailee Heard.

McGill's selection as Oklahoma State's first Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in more than a decade reflects the expectations surrounding her arrival and the impact she could make immediately.

Together, Crooks and McGill headline a transfer class that has generated considerable national attention.

Hoyt has made no secret of her excitement about this year's roster.

“I've never been more excited about a team,” Hoyt said recently. “Never in my career had the talent we have on this roster.”

That talent now comes with the responsibility of being the conference favorite.

Oklahoma State is seeking its first Big 12 regular-season women's basketball championship, having last captured a conference regular-season title during the Big Eight era in 1990-91.

With two preseason award winners, a highly regarded transfer class and a program coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Cowgirls have plenty of reasons for optimism.

But Thursday's announcement also brings a new challenge. For the first time, Oklahoma State enters the season as the team everyone else in the Big 12 is chasing.