Jennie Baranczyk says OU women’s basketball team ‘has got some good things going’
Jennie Baranczyk says OU women’s basketball team ‘has got some good things going’
The 2024-25 women’s college basketball season has arrived.
Among those competing are four Division I programs from the state of Oklahoma. That group consists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts and Tulsa.
Here’s a preview of each Oklahoma team, including key departures, impactful additions and record predictions.
Oklahoma
- Head coach: Jennie Baranczyk
- 2023-24 record: 23-10 (15-3 Big 12)
OU conquered the Big 12 last season by winning its second straight regular-season conference title. Now, the No. 10-ranked Sooners will make the move to the SEC.
The Sooners are returning all five starters. That includes senior forward Skylar Vann, who earned Big 12 Co-Player of the Year honors last season with averages of 15.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
OU also got a massive addition via the transfer portal when it landed Oregon State’s Raegan Beers. The 6-4 center earned an AP All-America third-team selection as a sophomore last season with averages of 17.5 and 7.1 rebounds.
Three-point shooting is still a concern for OU, and it’ll face even tougher competition in the SEC. But the Sooners reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, and they have enough talent to make an even deeper run this time around.
Prediction: 23-6 (11-5 SEC)
Oklahoma State
- Head coach: Jacie Hoyt
- 2023-24 record: 14-16 (7-11 Big 12)
Oklahoma State took a step backward last season. It went 14-16 (7-11 Big 12), which marked its first losing record since 2019.
The Cowgirls then lost seven players to the transfer portal. That included starting center Hannah Gusters, who averaged team highs of 14.3 points and 0.9 blocks before she transferred to UCF.
But guard play will be a strength for OSU, which brings back a promising sophomore in Stailee Heard and an excellent 3-point shooter in Anna Gret Asi. The Cowgirls also added former Classen SAS guard Micah Gray, who averaged 11.9 points last season as a sophomore at Seton Hall.
A lack of size is a concern following the departure of Gusters, although the hope is that 6-6 Rhode Island transfer Tenin Magassa will help fill that void. There’s potential with this group, but it might take some time for all the new pieces to mesh.
Prediction: 16-13 (8-10 Big 12)
Oral Roberts
- Head coach: Kelsi Musick
- 2023-24 record: 21-11 (11-5 Summit League)
Last season was a great one for Oral Roberts. The Golden Eagles went 21-11 (11-5 Summit League), which marked their most wins in a season since 2011.
All-Summit League first team guard Hannah Cooper has graduated, but Oral Roberts is bringing back its other four starters. That includes All-Summit League second team guard Taleyah Jones, a former Broken Arrow standout who averaged a team-high 17.5 points per game as a sophomore last season.
Oral Roberts didn’t hit the transfer portal to get better, but it has a young group that should continue to make strides. Redshirt junior guard and former Howe star Jalei Oglesby should see a larger role after earning Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year honors, and Emily Robinson, a Caddo graduate, is a promising guard who was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year.
The team to beat in the Summit League is still South Dakota State, which has gone a combined 65-1 in conference play throughout the past four seasons. But Oral Roberts has enough returning talent to be a real threat.
Prediction: 21-8 (12-4 Summit League)
Tulsa
- Head coach: Angie Nelp
- 2023-24 record: 25-10 (13-5 AAC)
Fourth-year head coach Angie Nelp continues to lead Tulsa in the right direction. She helped the Golden Hurricane go 25-10 (13-5 AAC) last season, and she’s the first coach in program history to record a winning record in each of her first three seasons.
Tulsa is tasked with replacing American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Temira Poindexter, who averaged a team-high 21 points last season before she transferred to Kansas State. But the team does return senior guard Delanie Crawford, a former Piedmont standout who averaged 19 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Mady Cartwright is also back in the mix to provide some 3-point shooting. Then there’s Jacksonville State transfer guard Kristol Ayson, who averaged 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds as a junior last season.
It’s never easy to replace the production of a player like Poindexter. But Tulsa has enough weapons to remain one of the better teams in its conference.
Prediction: 20-10 (13-5 AAC)
