Women's Basketball

Nicki Collen
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 3947
Nicki Collen was introduced as the fifth head coach in Baylor women’s basketball history on May 5, 2021, and later received a contract extension through 2030. She enters her sixth season at the helm in 2026-27.
Under Collen’s leadership, the Bears have continued their second-longest active national streaks of 20-win seasons, now at 26 consecutive years, and NCAA Tournament appearances, now at 22 straight seasons with first-round wins in each. Baylor also earned its 22nd consecutive AP preseason ranking ahead of the 2025-26 season and maintained a streak of 26 consecutive weeks in the AP poll while totaling 367 weeks ranked over the last 20 seasons, the second-most nationally.
Baylor leads Big 12 member institutions in wins since Collen took control of the program in 2021, totaling 127 victories over five seasons, more than 10 ahead of the next-winningest program.
Collen has coached four All-Americans with 10 total recognitions: NaLyssa Smith (2022 WBCA First Team, 2022 Senior CLASS First Team, 2022 John Wooden First Team, 2022 USBWA First Team, 2022 The Athletic First Team, 2022 Sports Illustrated First Team), Sarah Andrews (2023 WBCA honorable mention), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (2025 WBCA honorable mention, 2026 WBCA honorable mention) and Taliah Scott (2026 WBCA honorable mention).
Five All-Big 12 First Team selections have played under Collen: Jordan Lewis, NaLyssa Smith, Sarah Andrews, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Taliah Scott. Those honors are joined by 15 additional second-team or honorable mention selections voted on by Big 12 coaches. Four players have also received Big 12 individual awards as NaLyssa Smith was named 2022 Player of the Year, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was the 2023 Freshman of the Year, Jordan Lewis was the 2023 Newcomer of the Year and Yaya Felder earned 2025 Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Baylor remains one of nine programs nationally with double-digit first-round selections in the WNBA Draft with 11. The Bears have posted a Big 12-leading 26 all-time WNBA Draft picks, including five over the last five seasons.
Defense highlighted the 2025-26 season as Baylor led the conference in blocks per game and three-point percentage defense while finishing among the top 15 nationally in field goal percentage defense. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy each earned all-conference defensive team recognition.
The Bears picked up two top-10 road victories in 2025-26, the fifth and sixth of the Collen era. Baylor opened the season in Paris with a win over No. 7 Duke before handing No. 10 Iowa State its first loss of the season in Ames during Big 12 play. Taliah Scott led Baylor in scoring in her first full collegiate season at 19.7 points per game while tying for the third-most 3-pointers made in a single season by a Bear with 80. Scott also ranked fifth in program history with 205 free throws made and set Baylor’s single-season free throw percentage record at .895.
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added her name to the Baylor single-season record book with 10.1 rebounds per game, tied for ninth all-time. Jana Van Gytenbeek recorded a 10-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double to become the fourth Bear in program history to accomplish the feat.
Baylor also produced the largest comeback in program history during the 2025-26 season, erasing a 19-point deficit with 11:34 remaining in a 77-68 road win over Oklahoma State. The Bears became the fifth team in NCAA history to overcome a 19-point deficit with 12 minutes or less remaining in regulation without overtime and the first to do so since 2017. Baylor’s nine-point margin of victory was the largest among those teams.
The 2024-25 season saw Baylor finish as runner-up in both the Big 12 regular-season standings and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Collen earned her 100th career win in just 134 games, the fastest to reach the milestone in Baylor’s NCAA era. Baylor led the Big 12 in rebounds per game behind a standout season from Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who earned WBCA honorable mention All-America honors and was the only Big 12 player to average a double-double.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, six Bears combined for seven All-Big 12 honors. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs earned first-team recognition while Sarah Andrews and Aaronette Vonleh were named to the second team. Yaya Felder was selected as Sixth Player of the Year, and Bella Fontleroy earned All-Defensive Team honors while joining Jada Walker on the honorable mention list.
In her third season, Collen guided the Bears to the Sweet 16, highlighted by seven wins over AP-ranked opponents, the most among Big 12 programs. Baylor opened the 2023-24 season with the second-best start in program history, winning 14 consecutive nonconference games. The Bears christened Foster Pavilion on Jan. 3, 2024, with a 71-50 win over then-No. 23 TCU in their Big 12 opener.
During her second season, Collen coached two all-conference selections, two unanimous Big 12 All-Freshman Team honorees and the unanimous Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. Littlepage-Buggs earned eight Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors during the 2022-23 season, becoming the first Baylor freshman to reach the mark and ranking second all-time in conference history.
The Bears secured 20 wins for the 23rd consecutive season in 2022-23, the second-longest active streak in Division I. Collen led Baylor to its 19th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 21st overall, highlighted by an 18-point comeback win over Alabama in the opening round.
In her first season at Baylor, Collen posted 28 wins, the most by a first-year head coach in the nation. She guided the Bears to their 12th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title and an 11th straight top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor became the first team since 1999 to defeat a ranked opponent twice in a three-day span when it knocked off Texas twice to open February. Two weeks later, exactly one month after starting conference play 0-2, Baylor returned to the top of the Big 12 standings. The Bears became the first team since Texas Tech in 2000 to begin league play 0-2 and still win the conference.
Following a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance in her first season, Collen had three players selected in the 2022 WNBA Draft, tying a program record. NaLyssa Smith went No. 2 overall and Queen Egbo No. 10, marking the first time Baylor produced two top-10 selections in the same draft.
Collen’s first recruiting class at Baylor was ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Collen arrived at Baylor after spending three seasons as head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. In her rookie season in 2018, she led Atlanta to a 23-11 record, earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors and guided the franchise to the playoff semifinals.
Before Atlanta, Collen spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, helping the franchise improve from fifth to second in the Eastern Conference from 2016 to 2017.
Collen’s collegiate coaching career prior to the WNBA spanned nine seasons. She served as an assistant coach at Colorado State from 2000-02, Ball State from 2002-03, Louisville from 2003-04, Arkansas from 2011-14 and Florida Gulf Coast from 2014-16.
Her teams compiled a combined 214-74 record during those nine Division I seasons. Collen helped guide four teams to NCAA Tournament appearances, including three trips to the second round. She coached three All-Americans and had three players selected in the WNBA Draft.
Six of Collen’s nine collegiate seasons were spent working under her husband, Tom Collen, at Colorado State, Louisville and Arkansas. She also coached under Tracy Roller at Ball State and Karl Smesko at Florida Gulf Coast, where she helped lead the Eagles to a 64-9 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win.
Collen began her collegiate playing career at Purdue, helping the Boilermakers reach the NCAA Final Four in 1994 and the Elite Eight in 1995. She later transferred to Marquette, totaling 421 assists over her final two seasons while averaging 7.0 per game and helping the Golden Eagles reach the NCAA Tournament in both 1997 and 1998.
Nicki and her husband, Tom, have three children: Connor, Reese and Logan.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT NICKI COLLEN
“Nicki Collen is a great hire for Baylor. A well-respected basketball mind in the WNBA, she has the knowledge and work-ethic to succeed at one of the top programs in women’s college basketball. Much like the woman who preceded her, Collen is a fiery competitor with a big personality. She is a nice fit for Baylor.”
—Rebecca Lobo, ESPN Analyst, former NCAA Champion
“Nicki made an immediate impression as a head coach in the WNBA and it was a big challenge to coach against her. She likes an up tempo game, is innovative, and will bring a great style to Baylor Basketball. She is known for being direct and honest with her players in order to get the best from them on and off the court. I’m looking forward to watching her continue the great tradition of Baylor Basketball.”
—Mike Thibault, former Washington Mystics Head Coach
“Congrats to the Baylor Administration on hiring Nicki Collen as their next basketball coach! Nicki is a detailed strategist and a relationship builder with a tireless work ethic. Coach Collen will bring more winning success to the student athletes on and off the court and the Bear fans will be entertained with a fast paced offensive style of play! Buckle up for some intense, high octane offense!”
– Debbie Antonelli, ESPN Analyst
“Nicki has a brilliant basketball mind and a tremendous ability to connect with players. Nicki is high-energy, self-motivated, and ultra competitive. She will do great things at Baylor.”
– Karl Smesko, Atlanta Dream head coach, former Florida Gulf Coast Head Coach
“Nicki Collen is one of the best basketball minds I’ve covered over the years. Her depth of knowledge and understanding of the x’s and o’s is second to none. Coupled with vast experience at various levels on the college and WNBA side, there will be more Big 12 Championships in Baylor’s future.”
– LaChina Robinson, ESPN Analyst
“The Lady Bears program is always near and dear, and I am excited to see what Coach Collen will do on the sidelines in Waco. Fans can expect some fiery defensive skills for Coach C!”
– Kalani Brown, Phoenix Mercury player, former student-athlete
“I was really looking forward to working with Coach Collen in the WNBA, and while I didn’t get that chance, I couldn’t be happier for her to join our alma mater and lead the Lady Bears. I am excited to see her in the green and gold.”
– Odyssey Sims, Indiana Fever player, former student-athlete
“We are excited to have Nicki lead our women’s basketball program, and we look forward to welcoming her into the Baylor Family. I appreciate the work of Mack Rhoades and his team in identifying our next coach who understands our commitment to an elite program, aligns with Baylor’s Christian mission and appreciates how we prepare champions for life at our University. After visiting personally with Coach Collen, I can’t wait to see her and our student-athletes as they represent our great University both on the court and inside the classroom as well as throughout the Waco community.”
– Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D
WNBA ACCOLADES
• 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR
• JULY 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE MONTH
• AUGUST 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE MONTH
Collegiate All-Americans Coached
WNBA Draft Picks Coached in College
WNBA All-Stars Coached
Collen's WNBA Head-Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
Collen's WNBA Assistant-Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
Collen's Collegiate Assistant Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
Collen's Collegiate Head Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
Under Collen’s leadership, the Bears have continued their second-longest active national streaks of 20-win seasons, now at 26 consecutive years, and NCAA Tournament appearances, now at 22 straight seasons with first-round wins in each. Baylor also earned its 22nd consecutive AP preseason ranking ahead of the 2025-26 season and maintained a streak of 26 consecutive weeks in the AP poll while totaling 367 weeks ranked over the last 20 seasons, the second-most nationally.
Baylor leads Big 12 member institutions in wins since Collen took control of the program in 2021, totaling 127 victories over five seasons, more than 10 ahead of the next-winningest program.
Collen has coached four All-Americans with 10 total recognitions: NaLyssa Smith (2022 WBCA First Team, 2022 Senior CLASS First Team, 2022 John Wooden First Team, 2022 USBWA First Team, 2022 The Athletic First Team, 2022 Sports Illustrated First Team), Sarah Andrews (2023 WBCA honorable mention), Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (2025 WBCA honorable mention, 2026 WBCA honorable mention) and Taliah Scott (2026 WBCA honorable mention).
Five All-Big 12 First Team selections have played under Collen: Jordan Lewis, NaLyssa Smith, Sarah Andrews, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Taliah Scott. Those honors are joined by 15 additional second-team or honorable mention selections voted on by Big 12 coaches. Four players have also received Big 12 individual awards as NaLyssa Smith was named 2022 Player of the Year, Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was the 2023 Freshman of the Year, Jordan Lewis was the 2023 Newcomer of the Year and Yaya Felder earned 2025 Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Baylor remains one of nine programs nationally with double-digit first-round selections in the WNBA Draft with 11. The Bears have posted a Big 12-leading 26 all-time WNBA Draft picks, including five over the last five seasons.
Defense highlighted the 2025-26 season as Baylor led the conference in blocks per game and three-point percentage defense while finishing among the top 15 nationally in field goal percentage defense. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs and Bella Fontleroy each earned all-conference defensive team recognition.
The Bears picked up two top-10 road victories in 2025-26, the fifth and sixth of the Collen era. Baylor opened the season in Paris with a win over No. 7 Duke before handing No. 10 Iowa State its first loss of the season in Ames during Big 12 play. Taliah Scott led Baylor in scoring in her first full collegiate season at 19.7 points per game while tying for the third-most 3-pointers made in a single season by a Bear with 80. Scott also ranked fifth in program history with 205 free throws made and set Baylor’s single-season free throw percentage record at .895.
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added her name to the Baylor single-season record book with 10.1 rebounds per game, tied for ninth all-time. Jana Van Gytenbeek recorded a 10-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double to become the fourth Bear in program history to accomplish the feat.
Baylor also produced the largest comeback in program history during the 2025-26 season, erasing a 19-point deficit with 11:34 remaining in a 77-68 road win over Oklahoma State. The Bears became the fifth team in NCAA history to overcome a 19-point deficit with 12 minutes or less remaining in regulation without overtime and the first to do so since 2017. Baylor’s nine-point margin of victory was the largest among those teams.
The 2024-25 season saw Baylor finish as runner-up in both the Big 12 regular-season standings and the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. Collen earned her 100th career win in just 134 games, the fastest to reach the milestone in Baylor’s NCAA era. Baylor led the Big 12 in rebounds per game behind a standout season from Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who earned WBCA honorable mention All-America honors and was the only Big 12 player to average a double-double.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, six Bears combined for seven All-Big 12 honors. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs earned first-team recognition while Sarah Andrews and Aaronette Vonleh were named to the second team. Yaya Felder was selected as Sixth Player of the Year, and Bella Fontleroy earned All-Defensive Team honors while joining Jada Walker on the honorable mention list.
In her third season, Collen guided the Bears to the Sweet 16, highlighted by seven wins over AP-ranked opponents, the most among Big 12 programs. Baylor opened the 2023-24 season with the second-best start in program history, winning 14 consecutive nonconference games. The Bears christened Foster Pavilion on Jan. 3, 2024, with a 71-50 win over then-No. 23 TCU in their Big 12 opener.
During her second season, Collen coached two all-conference selections, two unanimous Big 12 All-Freshman Team honorees and the unanimous Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Darianna Littlepage-Buggs. Littlepage-Buggs earned eight Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors during the 2022-23 season, becoming the first Baylor freshman to reach the mark and ranking second all-time in conference history.
The Bears secured 20 wins for the 23rd consecutive season in 2022-23, the second-longest active streak in Division I. Collen led Baylor to its 19th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 21st overall, highlighted by an 18-point comeback win over Alabama in the opening round.
In her first season at Baylor, Collen posted 28 wins, the most by a first-year head coach in the nation. She guided the Bears to their 12th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title and an 11th straight top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Baylor became the first team since 1999 to defeat a ranked opponent twice in a three-day span when it knocked off Texas twice to open February. Two weeks later, exactly one month after starting conference play 0-2, Baylor returned to the top of the Big 12 standings. The Bears became the first team since Texas Tech in 2000 to begin league play 0-2 and still win the conference.
Following a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance in her first season, Collen had three players selected in the 2022 WNBA Draft, tying a program record. NaLyssa Smith went No. 2 overall and Queen Egbo No. 10, marking the first time Baylor produced two top-10 selections in the same draft.
Collen’s first recruiting class at Baylor was ranked No. 9 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Collen arrived at Baylor after spending three seasons as head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. In her rookie season in 2018, she led Atlanta to a 23-11 record, earned WNBA Coach of the Year honors and guided the franchise to the playoff semifinals.
Before Atlanta, Collen spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Connecticut Sun, helping the franchise improve from fifth to second in the Eastern Conference from 2016 to 2017.
Collen’s collegiate coaching career prior to the WNBA spanned nine seasons. She served as an assistant coach at Colorado State from 2000-02, Ball State from 2002-03, Louisville from 2003-04, Arkansas from 2011-14 and Florida Gulf Coast from 2014-16.
Her teams compiled a combined 214-74 record during those nine Division I seasons. Collen helped guide four teams to NCAA Tournament appearances, including three trips to the second round. She coached three All-Americans and had three players selected in the WNBA Draft.
Six of Collen’s nine collegiate seasons were spent working under her husband, Tom Collen, at Colorado State, Louisville and Arkansas. She also coached under Tracy Roller at Ball State and Karl Smesko at Florida Gulf Coast, where she helped lead the Eagles to a 64-9 record and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win.
Collen began her collegiate playing career at Purdue, helping the Boilermakers reach the NCAA Final Four in 1994 and the Elite Eight in 1995. She later transferred to Marquette, totaling 421 assists over her final two seasons while averaging 7.0 per game and helping the Golden Eagles reach the NCAA Tournament in both 1997 and 1998.
Nicki and her husband, Tom, have three children: Connor, Reese and Logan.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT NICKI COLLEN
“Nicki Collen is a great hire for Baylor. A well-respected basketball mind in the WNBA, she has the knowledge and work-ethic to succeed at one of the top programs in women’s college basketball. Much like the woman who preceded her, Collen is a fiery competitor with a big personality. She is a nice fit for Baylor.”
—Rebecca Lobo, ESPN Analyst, former NCAA Champion
“Nicki made an immediate impression as a head coach in the WNBA and it was a big challenge to coach against her. She likes an up tempo game, is innovative, and will bring a great style to Baylor Basketball. She is known for being direct and honest with her players in order to get the best from them on and off the court. I’m looking forward to watching her continue the great tradition of Baylor Basketball.”
—Mike Thibault, former Washington Mystics Head Coach
“Congrats to the Baylor Administration on hiring Nicki Collen as their next basketball coach! Nicki is a detailed strategist and a relationship builder with a tireless work ethic. Coach Collen will bring more winning success to the student athletes on and off the court and the Bear fans will be entertained with a fast paced offensive style of play! Buckle up for some intense, high octane offense!”
– Debbie Antonelli, ESPN Analyst
“Nicki has a brilliant basketball mind and a tremendous ability to connect with players. Nicki is high-energy, self-motivated, and ultra competitive. She will do great things at Baylor.”
– Karl Smesko, Atlanta Dream head coach, former Florida Gulf Coast Head Coach
“Nicki Collen is one of the best basketball minds I’ve covered over the years. Her depth of knowledge and understanding of the x’s and o’s is second to none. Coupled with vast experience at various levels on the college and WNBA side, there will be more Big 12 Championships in Baylor’s future.”
– LaChina Robinson, ESPN Analyst
“The Lady Bears program is always near and dear, and I am excited to see what Coach Collen will do on the sidelines in Waco. Fans can expect some fiery defensive skills for Coach C!”
– Kalani Brown, Phoenix Mercury player, former student-athlete
“I was really looking forward to working with Coach Collen in the WNBA, and while I didn’t get that chance, I couldn’t be happier for her to join our alma mater and lead the Lady Bears. I am excited to see her in the green and gold.”
– Odyssey Sims, Indiana Fever player, former student-athlete
“We are excited to have Nicki lead our women’s basketball program, and we look forward to welcoming her into the Baylor Family. I appreciate the work of Mack Rhoades and his team in identifying our next coach who understands our commitment to an elite program, aligns with Baylor’s Christian mission and appreciates how we prepare champions for life at our University. After visiting personally with Coach Collen, I can’t wait to see her and our student-athletes as they represent our great University both on the court and inside the classroom as well as throughout the Waco community.”
– Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D
WNBA ACCOLADES
• 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR
• JULY 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE MONTH
• AUGUST 2018 WNBA COACH OF THE MONTH
Collegiate All-Americans Coached
| 2002 | Angie Gorton | Colorado State |
| 2004 | Sara Nord | Louisville |
| 2016 | Whitney Knight | Florida Gulf Coast |
| 2022 | NaLyssa Smith | Baylor |
| 2023 | Sarah Andrews | Baylor |
| 2025, 26 | Darianna Littlepage-Buggs | Baylor |
| 2026 | Taliah Scott | Baylor |
WNBA Draft Picks Coached in College
| 2003 | Tamara Bowie | Washington |
| 2012 | C'eira Ricketts | Phoenix |
| 2016 | Whitney Knight | Los Angeles |
| 2022 | NaLyssa Smith | Indiana |
| 2022 | Queen Egbo | Indiana |
| 2022 | Jordan Lewis | Connecticut |
| 2025 | Aaronette Vonleh | Dallas |
| 2026 | Darianna Littlepage-Buggs | Washington |
WNBA All-Stars Coached
| 2017 | Jasmine Thomas | Connecticut |
| 2017 | Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut |
| 2018 | Angel McCoughtry | Atlanta |
Collen's WNBA Head-Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
| Year | Franchise | Conference | OVRL | Postseason |
| 2018 | Atlanta | Eastern | 23-11 | WNBA Semifinals |
| 2019 | Atlanta | Eastern | 8-26 | |
| 2020 | Atlanta | Eastern | 7-15 | |
| Totals | 3 Seasons | 38-52 | 1 Appearance |
Collen's WNBA Assistant-Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
| Year | Franchise | Conference | OVRL | Postseason |
| 2016 | Connecticut | Eastern | 14-20 | |
| 2017 | Connecticut | Eastern | 21-13 | WNBA Second Round |
| Totals | 2 Seasons | 35-33 | 1 Appearance |
Collen's Collegiate Assistant Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
| Year | School | Position | OVRL | CONF | Postseason |
| 2000-01 | Colorado State | Assistant Coach | 25-7 | 10-4 | NCAA-Second |
| 2001-02 | Colorado State | Assistant Coach | 24-7 | 12-2 | NCAA-First |
| 2002-03 | Ball State | Assistant Coach | 18-8 | 12-4 | WNIT-Second |
| 2003-04 | Louisville | Assistant Coach | 20-10 | 11-3 | WNIT-First |
| 2011-12 | Arkansas | Assistant Coach | 24-9 | 10-6 | NCAA-Second |
| 2012-13 | Arkansas | Assistant Coach | 20-13 | 6-10 | WNIT-Second |
| 2013-14 | Arkansas | Assistant Coach | 19-11 | 6-10 | |
| 2014-15 | Florida Gulf Coast | Assistant Coach | 31-3 | 14-0 | NCAA-Second |
| 2015-16 | Florida Gulf Coast | Assistant Coach | 33-6 | 14-0 | WNIT-Finals |
| Totals | 9 Seasons | 214-74 | 95-39 | 8 Appearances |
Collen's Collegiate Head Coaching Record, Year-By-Year
| Year | School | Position | OVRL | CONF | Postseason |
| 2021-22 | Baylor | Head Coach | 28-7 | 15-3 | NCAA-Second |
| 2022-23 | Baylor | Head Coach | 20-13 | 10-8 | NCAA-Second |
| 2023-24 | Baylor | Head Coach | 26-8 | 12-6 | NCAA-Sweet 16 |
| 2024-25 | Baylor | Head Coach | 28-8 | 15-3 | NCAA-Second |
| 2025-26 | Baylor | Head Coach | 25-9 | 13-5 | NCAA-Second |
| Totals | 5 Seasons | 127-45 | 65-25 | 5 Appearances |














