OU On The Cusp Of 16th Straight Bid

Oklahoma women's basketball is on the cusp of its 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Sooners are nearly a lock for an at-large bid to the 2015 NCAA Tournament after closing out the regular season with a 20-11 mark. In ESPN's most recent bracketology, Oklahoma is projected as a 6-seed. As of March 13, OU's RPI sat at 22 and its strength of schedule seven. Before Selection Monday occurs, let's look back at Oklahoma's streak of 15 straight.

2000: It's a Stunner in West Lafayette.

In her fourth season as OU's head coach Sherri Coale turned the Sooners from Big 12 doormat to champions and then upset defending national champion Purdue on its home court in the NCAA Second Round. Coale was the runner-up for AP National Coach of the Year.

2001: Twice as Nice.

The Sooners won the Big 12 outright and appeared in a second straight Sweet 16 after blowing by Oral Roberts and Stanford in the first and second rounds held at the Lloyd Noble Center. OU faced a rowdy home crowd in a trip to Spokane where it fell to Washington.

2002: Remember the Alamo?

Oklahoma finished as the national runner-up after earning a No. 1 seed and carring it to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Stacey Dales led the Sooners to a program-best record of 32-4.

2003: Four in a Row.

A senior-less Oklahoma squad earned the No. 10 seed in the tournament and hosted a subregional on its home court for the third straight year. The Sooners fell to 7-seed George Washington in the opening round.

2004: Steady as She Goes.

Sherri Coale became OU's all-time wins leader and the Sooners became te first team to win the Big 12 Tournament title playing four games. The No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, OU beat 14-seed Marist before falling to 6-seed Stanford in the second round.

2005: Hard to Swallow.

Oklahoma rallied to tie its first-round game with Arizona in Knoxville, Tenn., a 64 apiece. Dionnah Jackson cut the lead to 71-69 with a par of free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining, but a buzzer-beating 3 by Chelsi Welch sailed wide of its target.

2006: A Dynasty Begins.

After dominating Big 12 play with a 19-0 run, OU received a No. 2 seed and reached the Sweet 16 in the Paris Twins' freshmen seasons. However, the Sooners were ousted from the tournament by Stanford for the second time in three years.

2007: Driven to Dayton.

The Sooners swept the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles for a second straight year and cruised through the preliminary round matches before Armintie Price and Ole Miss proved too much for OU in the Sweet 16.

2008: Seconds Away.

No. 4 seed Oklahoma carried a 21-5 record into its final week of the regular season, but struggled with its consistency, leading to a 1-4 finish to the year and early exit with a second round overtime loss to 5-seed Notre Dame.

2009: Gateway to Greatness.

OU bounced back from disappointment and won a regional title in its backyard on its road to St. Louis. The Sooners pounced on Louisville in the national semifinal, but the Cardinals came back and won when Nyeshia Stevenson's 3 rimmed out at the buzzer.

2010: Back-to-Back.

The 3-seed Sooners blasted through preliminary round games hosted in Norman. This time, Stevenson's 3-point fell as she forced OT against Notre Dame and then OU rallied for a decisive win against Kentucky before falling to Stanford in the Final Four.

2011: How Sweet It Is.

Oklahoma turned up the intensity in the postseason. Whitney Hand scored 26 points per game, and Carlee Roethlisberger and Joanna McFarland averaged double-doubles against James Madison and Miami to send the Sooners to the program's ninth Sweet 16.

2012: Resilient Roster.

Injuries sidelined many of Oklahoma's veterans, but sophomores Aaryn Ellenberg and Morgan Hook carried the Sooners to a 6-seed and hosting duties for the first and second rounds. OU stomped on Michigan before losing a fantastic battle with 3-seed St. John's.

2013: Win and Go Home.

Injuries once again beset the Sooners, who lost four players by the first week of December. Oklahoma held off pesky Central Michigan, making its first NCAA appearance, and took revenge on UCLA before facing Tennessee in a Sweet 16 game in Oklahoma City.

2014: Epic Comeback Thwarted.

Oklahoma and DePaul traded shot for shot, point for point, in the highest-scoring regulation game in NCAA tournament history. The Blue Demons managed to scrape together the one defensive stop they needed to win it and earned the 104-100 victory.