The BYU women's basketball team celebrated National Girls and Women Sports Day on Wednesday with an upset victory over No. 18 Baylor, clinching a 78-66 win. The victory marked a pivotal moment for the Cougars, who have faced challenges since joining the Big 12 but showcased their potential in arguably their best performance so far this season.

Lauren Gustin stood out with an impressive 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Amari Whiting contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Kailey Woolston and Emma Calvert added 14 points each, helping the Cougars score the most points they have in a Big 12 game this season.

BYU head coach Amber Whiting praised her team's focus and belief in themselves and one another.

“I’m really, really proud of my women tonight,” Amber Whiting said, as reported by Darnell Dickson of the Daily Hearld. “They brought it. They were super focused and they most importantly believed in themselves and believed in each other. That’s what I’ve been preaching all week to them because I feel like we’ve got to get over the hump. It all comes down to them. We can’t prepare them any more than what we’ve been doing. It comes down to players making plays, and they did tonight.”

A strategic change in pre-game preparation, suggested by the team captains, also played a role in the team's readiness and ultimate success.

“The captains came to us and talked to us about our warmup and how they wanted to switch some of it up,” she said. “So they switched it up. We shortened the time when we normally come to the gym. When they came out, they felt great. I like having player-led teams and that was all them.”

The Cougars maintained their lead throughout the game, responding to every Baylor attempt to close the gap. Their performance in the first quarter set the tone, with Amari Whiting leading the charge.  Despite Baylor's attempts to rally in the third quarter, BYU's efficiency and their ability to outrebound their opponents secured their lead and, ultimately, the win. The Cougars shot 53% from the field and 40% from the three-point line.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs led Baylor with 17 points and Yaya Felder added 15.

“We talked about how we wanted to just come out punching,” Amari Whiting said. “We wanted to punch first. Coach always says don’t let your highs get to high or your lows get to low. We’ll obviously celebrate tonight but then tomorrow we’ve got to lock in on our scout (for a the next game). I honestly think we can hang with any team in the Big 12. It just took us a bit to figure it out. We’ve got to be humble and be hungry.”

The Cougars (13-11, 3-8) play Cincinnati on Saturday.