Sooners meet Florida Gulf Coast in NCAA Tournament opener Saturday in Norman
NORMAN — For the 25th time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The Sooners earned the No. 3 seed in the Spokane 4 Region and will host first- and secondround games at Lloyd Noble Center.
NORMAN — For the 25th time in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The Sooners earned the No. 3 seed in the Spokane 4 Region and will host first- and secondround games at Lloyd Noble Center.
The No. 3 seed is OU’s highest since reaching the Final Four in 2010. The 2025 championship marks the seventh time the Sooners will host NCAA Tournament games and the first since coach Jennie Baranczyk’s debut season in 2021-22.
OU will open against No. 14 seed Florida Gulf Coast at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in a rematch of last year’s firstround battle, which OU won 73-70. The winner will advance to face either No. 6 seed Iowa or No. 11 seed Murray State in Monday’s second-round game at Lloyd Noble Center.
The Sooners (25-7) enter the tournament ranked No. 11 in The Associated Press poll and aim to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. Under Baranczyk, OU has secured a No. 5 seed or better in each of her four seasons — only the second time in program history (2006-10) the Sooners have achieved that feat in four consecutive years.
A consistent presence in the NCAA postseason, OU has now made 25 tournament appearances, including 23 since 2000. The Sooners have reached three Final Fours (2002, 2009, 2010) and 10 Sweet 16s, most recently in 2013. Under Baranczyk, OU has advanced to the second round in each of the past three seasons.
