OU Women's Basketball plays UConn Saturday @ Seattle in Sweet 16

[OUBeliever56A]

In the 2024-2025 Season, the Sooner Women's Basketball Team has conquered a few foes and climbed new hills to finish in in a 4th place tie in the SEC and then win their second round game against Iowa to reach the Sweet 16. THAT team now is waiting for them. UConn has been at th top of the hill of Women's BB teams for a while. From one totally dominiating they have fallen to one of the best 3 or 4 programs annually in the game. They can never be underestimated or not respected. On Saturday, OU will look for some respect of their own and perhaps surprise a few people. Maybe even themselves.

On paper, UConn is a great team. 23-3 with losses to only top teams. Notre Dame, USC and Tennessee. Theey have won 12 in-a-row. All of those have been won by 19 or more points. They shoot the ball well from 3-point land with 8 players chipping in to that effort. For the season, they have won by a average margin of 30 points per game. They outrebound their opponents by 6.4 boards and thay have a 3-to-1 ratio for ball handling. Bottom line is that they will not beat themselves. They have 6 players that are 6'1" or taller. They can play big or small if needed.

Here is the preview article about the game written by the OU Athletics Communications group.

https://soonersports.com/news/2025/3/27 ... n-sweet-16

Oklahoma will need to play very well on Saturday afternoon to remain a threat to win the game. There are several things that the Sooners need to do.

Start quickly and get a few hustle points.
Be in the game at the end of the 1st quarter.
Play through the second quarter and get some more hustle points and stay out of foul trouble.
Be ready for a charge by UConn at the start of the 3rd quarter. Handle the ball well to start the quarter.
Finish the 3rd quarter strong.

If they can do that, the Sooners should be in a place within range of an upset. If they an shoot lights out during the 4th quarter, the Sooners might pick up a BIG win to puch themselves into the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tourney.

I think Williams and Verhulst could be the keys in the game. Williams and her hustle and tougness on defense is needed. Verhulst needs to be on fire with her shoot the entire game. I think UConn will play Beers with just one defender (beacuse they are UConn). That presents a chance for OU to have an insurance go-to player when needed. Make every pass into Beers count because it is a potential bucket and maybe a bucket and a free throw.

It would be nice if Keys could find her shot one last time for the Sooners. Zya Vann needs to play free and score. Her big sister, Skylar has one last game to give the Sooners. I hope it is tomorrow. Liz Scott is probably a key as she will get her minutes inside. Those could be key minutes for OU.

If the Sooners can keep the game in single digits, a fast close provides a winning path possibly. When they have the lead, I hope they do not take extremely quick shots and miss. Work the ball a bit if they can and stay in rythum. But a bad miss with a long rebound leading to a fast break bucket is not what is needed at all when you have a lead.

Good luck to the Sooners tomorrow.

Boomer Sooner!

[inconnu]

Good to see OU women's basketball's big improvement! This is the best year in a LOOOOOOONG time. Maybe we're on to something!?!?

[OUBeliever56A]

The 27-7 Oklahoma Sooners Women's Basketball Team took on the 33-3 UConn Huskies in the Sweet 16 Round of the NCAA Tourney yesterday. The Sooners startd well and led the game 8-0 in the first quarter. But an ill-fated pass across the floor was the first turnover for the Sooners and it started a reversal of play as the Huckies ran off a 17-4 run the rest of the quarter to lead 17-12 at the end of the 1st quarter. But the Sooners did play well in the 2nd quarter as Payton Verhulst scored well in the quarter and OU re-took the lead as UConn shot poorly. Oklahoma led by 4 points, 36-32, at the half.

But OU shot 62.5% from the floor and 44.3% from 3-point territory in the 2Q while UConn shot about 30% from the field and 35% from 3-point territory in the 1st half. Things changed quickly on the second half. UConn shot just under 60% from the field and 40% from "three's" in the 2nd half as the Sooners shot around 25% from the field nd 25% from "three's". The result was a 50-23 scoring margin for UConn over Oklahoma in the 2nd half as UConn ran away to their 82-59 win.

The Sooners got 53 points from Verhulst, Williams, Beers, R Scott and L Scott and little else from therest of the Sooners as Skylat Vann scored the only other 6 points. OU was outrebunded by 2 at 43-41. Oklahoma turned the ball over 13 more times than did UConn and scored 13 more points from turnovers than did OU. PAige Bueckers, for UConn, scored 40 points in the game (much to the delight of the broadcast crew) as OU once again could not defend a shooter or slow her down.

Here is the final post-game article written by the Sooner staff writers.

https://soonersports.com/news/2025/3/29 ... n-sweet-16

The second half was not a good display of basketball for the Sooners as they ended their season. I do not mean to be critical of the effort, but they just did not finish well after they started the 2nd half with the lead.

However, it was a very successful season for the Sooners as they withstood the rigors of the SEC schedule and won two games in the NCAA Tourney which is ane mark for Coach Jenny Baranczyk's tenure. But I can not help but notice the difference from the Sooners and say the Top 8 teams which is still pretty wide. Oklahoma must work very hard to close that gap i they are to proceed further in the NCAA Tourney.

The future is bright as the Sooners return everyone but 4 of the 10 regular playing Sooners. They will add a very strong class of freshman to the team with #1 prospet Aaliyah Chavez (5'9" 5-Star Guard) and Keziah Lofton (4-star 6'0" Guard) and Broklyn Stewart (4-Star Forward).

The Sooners will surely look for a few strong forwards with experience in the portal to re-stock that poisition with Skylar Vann and Liz Scott moving on. It looks like the Sooners have ample guards and small forwards to fill those spots next season.

Thanks to the Sooner women for their fine effort and their strong results that lead to s Sweet 16 finish for the Sooners!

Boomer Sooner!

[AustinTXSooner]

I don't know about the top 8 teams. We are certainly behind South Carolina by a distance. I thought that UConn was beatble. Take away Bueckers and we were a better team than UConn.

[OUchief2020]

Chavez should start from day one. I hope she can play point guard. If Scott starts next year, OU will not be better, in my opinion. Turnover machine.

[jmac11]

The future is bright!

[EMan]

I read that Reyna Scott, Kiersten Johnson and Landry Allen have all entered the transfer portal.