The biggest questions facing the 2022 NCAA women’s basketball tournament selection committee

Baylor coach Nicki Collen said there’s reason enough for the Bears to go full-throttle vs. Texas in Sunday’s Big 12 championship game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN App): A tournament title is on the line. While it would the 12th for Baylor, it would be the first for Collen, in her inaugural season with the Bears.

“[Sunday] is about cutting down another net,” Collen said Saturday after Baylor’s 91-76 semifinal victory over Oklahoma at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. “I don’t know if I believe any of it, but we could potentially be playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, too.”

According to ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme, that’s exactly what Baylor will be doing. After the Bears avenged two regular-season losses to the Sooners, Creme moved Baylor into the fourth and final No. 1 seed, replacing Louisville on the top line. Will Baylor actually end up there? That’s one of the questions that will be answered in the NCAA women’s selection show, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The women have had their selection show on Mondays since 2006, but moved back to Sunday this season to account for the tournament expanding to 68 teams with the First Four. And while certain things have been locked in for quite a while with no change — such as South Carolina, NC State and defending national champion Stanford as No. 1 seeds — other things have fluctuated. Louisville was the fourth No. 1 seed in the selection committee’s last reveal on Feb. 28, but the Cardinals’ ACC quarterfinal loss to Miami left the door open for Baylor.

The Bears appear to be charging through that; they’re on a 12-game winning streak and started Big 12 tournament play Friday with a 23-0 first quarter against Oklahoma State.

A loss to Texas would change things, but…