Baylor coach Nicki Collen knew her team could be something special this year even before the Bears went to Paris to tip off their season against Duke last week.

After a win over the Blue Devils, the Bears moved up nine spots to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 this week, but the work was done in the offseason. Baylor players spent a lot of time this summer bonding and playing basketball.

Collen is mixing in a veteran group with talented transfer Taliah Scott.

“I think it’s a group that has ability to put the ball in the basket,” Collen said in a phone interview Monday.

Scott joins a veteran core that has established a great culture around the program. She averaged 26.5 points in the Bears’ two wins last week. Scott, now at her third school, started at Arkansas and then transferred to Auburn be

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