Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Sooners
women's basketball
team represents the University of Oklahoma
and competes in the Big 12 Conference
of NCAA Division I.
, that the team became something Sooners would be proud of. The sooner women's basketball team has since been a leader on the national game attendance record books. They average over 9,000 fans at every home game and have sold out several games in the history of the program, including last seasons matchups with Texas, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The Sooner's also set a record on February 2, 2009 when they played host to #13 Tennessee Lady Volunteers, led by coach Pat Summit who was trying to grab career victory 1,000, something that no other coach has done before. The Attendance for that game, which was held that the Ford Center in Oklahoma City
, was close to 13,000 as well as setting a record for the most watched women's basketball game in history. The Sooners also lead the Big 12 conference in attendance as well. As with the Men's team, they call Lloyd Noble Center
home.
The program gained national prominence during the 2002 post-season when they advanced to the National Title game and lost to the University of Connecticut
Huskies. In the 2005-06 season, the Sooners were led by their coach Sherri Coale and the nationally-known sophomore twins Courtney
and Ashley Paris
, daughters of former San Francisco 49ers
offensive tackle Bubba Paris
, to the third round of the national tournament. The team also won the Big 12 regular season championship (with a 16-0 conference record) and the Big 12 Tournament. They are the first Big 12 women's basketball team to remain undefeated throughout conference play.
In the 2008-09 season, the Sooners made it to the Final Four of the 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
. They advanced through the Oklahoma City Regional, where they enjoyed considerable home court advantage, as Norman and Oklahoma City are separated by fewer than 20 miles.
who is in her 15th season at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team represents the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and competes in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
of NCAA Division I.
History
OU Women's Basketball began during the 1974-75 academic year. The program was an afterthought with many years of below average performance. In March 1990, Oklahoma officials released a statement saying that the women's basketball program was to be dropped. Many people voiced their complaints and eight days later, OU reinstated the program. At the time, the average attendance per game was only 65 people. It wasn't until 1996 when OU hired local high school basketball coach, Sherri CoaleSherri Coale
-References:...
, that the team became something Sooners would be proud of. The sooner women's basketball team has since been a leader on the national game attendance record books. They average over 9,000 fans at every home game and have sold out several games in the history of the program, including last seasons matchups with Texas, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. The Sooner's also set a record on February 2, 2009 when they played host to #13 Tennessee Lady Volunteers, led by coach Pat Summit who was trying to grab career victory 1,000, something that no other coach has done before. The Attendance for that game, which was held that the Ford Center in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, was close to 13,000 as well as setting a record for the most watched women's basketball game in history. The Sooners also lead the Big 12 conference in attendance as well. As with the Men's team, they call Lloyd Noble Center
Lloyd Noble Center
The Lloyd Noble Center is an 11,528-seat multi-purpose arena, in Norman, Oklahoma, United States, some south of downtown Oklahoma City...
home.
The program gained national prominence during the 2002 post-season when they advanced to the National Title game and lost to the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
Huskies. In the 2005-06 season, the Sooners were led by their coach Sherri Coale and the nationally-known sophomore twins Courtney
Courtney Paris
Courtney Paris most recently played for the Atlanta Dream of the WNBA, she was the senior starting center for the University of Oklahoma women's basketball team. Her twin sister, player Ashley Paris, was also a Sooner.-Early life:In addition to being a twin, Paris has four brothers: Wayne, David,...
and Ashley Paris
Ashley Paris
Ashley Paris is a WNBA player for the Atlanta Dream. She is the twin sister of Courtney Paris, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA. She has been nationally recognized for her basketball achievements at the University of Oklahoma...
, daughters of former San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
offensive tackle Bubba Paris
Bubba Paris
William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl...
, to the third round of the national tournament. The team also won the Big 12 regular season championship (with a 16-0 conference record) and the Big 12 Tournament. They are the first Big 12 women's basketball team to remain undefeated throughout conference play.
In the 2008-09 season, the Sooners made it to the Final Four of the 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
. They advanced through the Oklahoma City Regional, where they enjoyed considerable home court advantage, as Norman and Oklahoma City are separated by fewer than 20 miles.
Conferences
Oklahoma has played in the Big 8 and the Big 12 conferences. The Sooners joined the Big 12 in 1996 when the Big 8 merged with several former members of the defunct Southwest Conference.Coaches
Sooners head women's basketball coach is Sherri CoaleSherri Coale
-References:...
who is in her 15th season at Oklahoma.