No. 2 seed Lady Bears make NCAA Tourney for 8th time in 9 years

The No. 7-ranked Baylor women’s basketball team will make its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance (and its eighth in head coach Kim Mulkey’s nine seasons at Baylor) beginning Sunday, when the No. 2 seed Lady Bears will face 15th-seeded UT-San Antonio around 9 p.m. in Lubbock; the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Twice before, the Lady Bears have entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed: in 2002, when Baylor hosted the first two rounds but was upset in the second round, and in 2005, when Baylor won the national title. Can they make another Final Four run? At least one expert thinks so.

After the selection show festivities (click here for video and here for photos), a number of the Lady Bears (including Mulkey) made their way over to Baylor Ballpark, where they enjoyed an exciting finish as the No. 9-ranked Bears beat No. 3 Texas A&M 8-7 in 10 innings. Complete strangers were greeting the players on the concourse, shaking their hands and congratulating them on their accomplishments so far this season. At least twice I noticed sections of the stands applauding the players or Mulkey as they walked by. It’s good to see the Baylor family so excited for the Lady Bears!

Sic ’em, women’s basketball!