| Oklahoma Sooners | |
| University | University of Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big 12 South Division |
| Location | Norman, OK|Norman, Oklahoma|OK |
| Head coach | Sherri Coale (15th year) |
| Arena | Lloyd Noble Center (Capacity: 12,000) |
| Nickname | Sooners |
| Colors | Crimson and Cream
|
| Uniforms | |
| Template:Basketball kit home and away | |
| NCAA/AIAW Tournament Final Four | |
| 2002, 2009, 2010 | |
| NCAA/AIAW Tournament Sweet Sixteen | |
| 1986, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 | |
| NCAA/AIAW Tournament second round | |
| 1995, 2004, 2008 | |
| NCAA/AIAW Tournament appearances | |
| 1986, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| 2001, 2002, 2006 | |
The Oklahoma Sooners women's basketball team represents the University of Oklahoma and competes in the Big 12 Conference 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.[1] 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 Coale, 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.
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.
- ↑ SoonerSports.com. When It Was Dropped. OU Women's Basketball 2006 Media Guide. University of Oklahoma. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.