Oklahoma Sooners Woman’s Basketball Team Gets High Ranking in AP Top 25
The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team got good news the day after the UConn vs. Gamecocks national championship game. The OU team ranked number 11 in the The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll.
The poll was released by AP on Monday, April 7, after UConn beat the Gamecocks 82-59. UConn was unanimously voted number 1, ESPN reported. The Gamecocks received all 31 votes for the number two spot.
The Sooners performed well in the poll, holding their number 11 spot and beating out 14 other teams. In the season, the Sooners were 27-8 overall.
Ahead of the Sooners in the poll were: UConn (1), South Carolina (2), UCLA (3), Texas Longhorns (4), USC (5), TCU (6), Duke (7), LSU (8), North Carolina State (9), and Notre Dame (10.)
This is just the second year AP had a final poll after the title game, ESPN reported.
UConn beat OU 82 to 59 earlier this season on March 29. It was the exact same score that gave UConn the championship title against the Gamecocks.
After the big win, UConn coach Geno Auriemma credited OU’s defense for Paige Bueckers’ 40 points scored.
During the post-game press conferece, a reporter commented that Auriemma had said this game was the best Bueckers had played, and Auriemma disagreed.
“Did I really say that? That that’s the best I’ve seen her play?” he asked. “That came out of my mouth? Well, that’s the most I’ve seen her shoot. And she was really bad defensively. So we can’t just let her off the hook that easily.”
Auriemma turned 71 in March, making him the oldest coach to win the women’s title. Prior to him, Tara VanDerveer had that distinction winning in 2021 at the age of 67.
