Women's Hoops Opens Season Monday at Home

Monday, November 6

Norman

12 PM CT

University of Oklahoma

Wichita State

Tickets

Women's Hoops Opens Season Monday at Home

November 05, 2023 | Women's Basketball

Watch Listen Live Stats $5 Tickets

By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN – The third season of the Jennie Baranczyk era is set to open Monday when No. 23 Oklahoma hosts Wichita State at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. In the Sooners' lone exhibition last week, OU handled its business vs. West Texas A&M (10/31), running away with a 113-38 victory.

Monday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Chad McKee and Dan Hughes on the call. Brian Brinkley and Kevin Henry will call the action on the Sooner Radio Network. The Sooners will celebrate Native American Heritage Month before and during the contest.

Doors to the arena open one hour before tip and the Lloyd Noble Center's clear-bag policy is in effect. Tickets are still available for purchase for $5 and fans can also purchase lunch at the Lloyd Noble Center for $5 at the concession stands.

THE STARTING FIVE

OU's 2023-24 season marks the 50th in program history as Oklahoma launched its women's basketball program in the 1974-75 year. Since its inception, Oklahoma has won a total of 12 conference championships and appeared in three Final Fours. The Sooners 23 appearances in the NCAA Tournament are second most in the Big 12 and 23rd most in the country.
When Oklahoma tips off on Monday afternoon, it will do so without Ana Llanusa, Taylor Robertson or Madi Williams for the first time in 2,186 days. Llanusa, who played her last of six seasons at OU in 2022-23, scored nine points in her debut vs. Belmont on Nov. 10, 2017. One of the three have played in all but one of OU's 182 games since that date. The trio, who all rank in the top 10 in all-time scoring at OU, each appeared in over 115 games in their careers, while Robertson (151) and Williams (147) rank first and second all-time in games played at Oklahoma.
The Sooners open the season ranked 23rd in the WBCA/USA Today poll and are unranked in the preseason AP poll.
Skylar Vann will look to star for the Sooners this season. The Big 12's only two-time Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year, Vann was named to the Cheryl Miller Award watch list, awarded annually to the nation's best small forward. Vann, named to the preseason All-Big 12 team earlier this month, is the only player in Big 12 history to win the league's Sixth Player Award twice. An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season, she posted 11.5 points, a team-high 6.8 rebounds and a career-high 2.1 assists per game, and her 20 games of double-digit points a season ago were the most in the Big 12 among players without a start.
Oklahoma is 38-11 all-time in home openers and 33-16 in season openers.

SERIES HISTORY

Monday's contest marks the 22nd between Oklahoma and Wichita State, whose arenas are separated by a 184-mile stretch of Interstate 35.

The Sooners hold a 14-7 all-time series lead, including an 8-1 mark in Norman. Oklahoma has won eight in a row vs. the Shockers at Lloyd Noble Center with the lone loss coming in 1980.

LAST TIME OUT

New faces shined during No. 23 Oklahoma's exhibition win on Monday night as OU's four newcomers combined for 57 points and 32 rebounds in the Sooners' 113-38 victory over West Texas A&M. The Sooners dominated from the jump and outscored West Texas A&M by at least 10 points in each quarter. Tuesday's contest was OU's final tune-up before it opens the 2023-24 season next Monday at home against Wichita State.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma hits the road for its first road trip following Monday's contest as the Sooners travel to Oxford, Miss., for a clash with No. 12 Ole Miss on Thursday. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. OU defeated the Rebels 69-59 last season at Lloyd Noble Center.