Skip to main content

OU women's basketball selected as five seed; to play No. 12 FGCU

headshotby:George Stoia03/17/24

GeorgeStoia

Jennie Baranczyk
Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk celebrates during a women's college basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Tech Lady Raiders at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Oklahoma won 73-55. (Bryan Terry - The Oklahoman/USA TODAY Network).

Jennie Baranczyk and the OU women’s basketball team are going dancing. 

The Sooners are officially in the NCAA Tournament as a five seed set to face Florida Gulf Coast (29-4) in Bloomington, Ind. It was no surprise the Oklahoma women made the tourney once again under Baranczyk. 

OU (22-9) has been one of the hottest teams in the country for the past three months. After a rough non-conference schedule at 6-5, the Sooners went 15-3 in conference play, winning the Big 12 regular season championship for the second consecutive season.

The Sooners only won one game in the Big Championship Tournament, though, beating TCU and then losing to Iowa State in the semifinals. Still, OU is feeling good about its chances in the tournament. 

Should the Sooners win, it could set up a showdown against host No. 4 seed Indiana. The Hoosiers take on No. 13 Fairfield. And if you can pull off the upset there? No. 1 and undefeated South Carolina would be waiting for you in Albany.

Top 10

  1. 1

    DJ Lagway

    Florida QB to return vs. LSU

    Breaking
  2. 2

    Dylan Raiola injury

    Nebraska QB will play vs. USC

  3. 3

    Elko pokes at Kiffin

    A&M coach jokes over kick times

  4. 4

    SEC changes course

    Alcohol sales at SEC Championship Game

    New
  5. 5

    Bryce Underwood

    Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years

View All

Oklahoma is led by co-Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann, averaging 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Payton Verhulst, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, has also been stellar this season, registering 12.9 points per game. For Baranczyk’s team, it’s been a remarkable turnaround this season. But she’s hoping the best is still yet to come. 

Now in her third season at OU, Baranczyk has made the tournament all three seasons. But she’s yet to make it past the Round of 32. In 2021-22, after beating IUPUI, Notre Dame beat her Sooners at home as a four seed.

In 2022-23, after beating Portland, they lost on the road to UCLA as a five seed. Baranczyk is hopeful this is the year she finally gets to the Sweet 16.

That journey will start in Bloomington. 

You may also like