Patty Gasso: Gritty, fearless Oklahoma will not apologize for the way they play

Patty Gasso was visibly emotional in the moments following Oklahoma‘s fourth-consecutive national championship victory on Thursday.

The Sooners swept rival Texas in two games, defeating the Longhorns 8-4 on Thursday to cap off the four-peat — the first of its kind at the Division I level.

However, the elusive fourth championship wasn’t always Oklahoma’s for the taking. Following the win, the Oklahoma head coach attempted to explain the hardships and hurdles that the Sooners had to overcome during the offseason, regular season and into their playoff run.

“It was really hard because we had to do some things outside of the field to kind of connect a little bit better and they really stepped up as women,” Gasso told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game. “I don’t even know how to explain it. They’re just gritty and they’re fearless. They lived that way, they practiced that way. You see the way they play. They’re full of energy, they’re full passion and we will not apologize for that because that’s the way they play the game. And that’s why we’re here right now.”

In those four seasons, OU has compiled a 235-15 record. Seven of those came this season, which led the Sooners to be the NCAA Tournament’s No. 2 overall seed behind Texas, despite defeating them in the Big 12 Tournament final last month.

Regardless, Gasso’s team have won four-straight national championships — a dynasty now unrivaled in modern college athletics history.

“God is good and he’s blessed this team, he’s bless his program,” Gasso continued. “We worked hard, we do it a blue collar style. We fight, we’re gritty. There’s nothing we feel that we can overcome. And that’s why we go out with just play free. I can’t tell you what this means for the seniors. For Kelly Maxwell. I will remember — this was the hardest of all, without question, and it’s going to probably be the most remembered for just the magnitude of what these guys have done. It’s unbelievable.”

To play free and fearless, with grit, passion and energy — that appears to have been the ultimate goal of the Oklahoma softball team this year. The Sooners proved that and then some during its 2024 campaign. Now, they have yet another piece of hardware to show for it.

Is it too early to say that five is on the table? Both Oklahoma and Texas move to the SEC this summer and will have a bevy of new challengers that will be restlessly waiting their arrival. Still, the Sooners have conquered the softball landscape for so long, there very well may be no more challengers for Gasso’s group to overcome.

For now, however, the Sooners get to enjoy yet another championship victory under one of the greatest softball coaches of all time.