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Oklahoma basketball: Sooner women 15th in AP Preseason Poll

By Chip Rouse

Oklahoma's Madi Williams (25) drives past IUPUI's Anna Mortag (21) during a women's basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and IUPUI in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, March 19, 2022.Women S Ncaa Tournament
Oklahoma's Madi Williams (25) drives past IUPUI's Anna Mortag (21) during a women's basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and IUPUI in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Saturday, March 19, 2022.Women S Ncaa Tournament /
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The women’s Oklahoma basketball team will begin the 2022-23 season as the No. 15 team in the country, according to the Associated Press Preseason Poll.

This is highest preseason ranking for the Lady Sooners since the 2013-14 season. OU began that season ranked 11th. The Sooners have been ranked in the top 15 to begin the season ten times since 2000.

Oklahoma is one of four Big 12 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 to begin the 2022-23 season. Texas is the highest ranked of the Big 12 teams at No. 3. Iowa State is also ranked in the top 10 at No. 8. Baylor, the reigning conference champion.

The top five teams in the AP Preseason Poll are No. 1 South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee. View the full rankings by clicking here.

Jennie Barancyzk begins her second season as head coach of the OU women. The Sooners finished 25-9 overall and 12-6 in the Big 12 in her debut season and have their aim even higher in 2022-23 with over 90 percent of their scoring production returning.

The Lady Sooners are projected to finish third, behind Iowa State and Texas, in the Big 12 in the coming season in the annual preseason poll conducted by the league coaches.

Three returning OU starters — fifth-year seniors Madi Williams and Taylor Robertson and sixth-year senior Ana Llanusa — were the highest-scoring trio in the country last season. Williams led the Sooners, averaging 18.0 points a game. Llanusa and Robertson averaged 17.3 and 17.2 points, respectively. Robertson is the Big 12 career leader in made three-point shots.

Williams and Robertson are both unanimous All-Big 12 preseason selections this season. In addition, Williams has been named to the watch list for the Cheryl Miller Award, recognizing the top small forward in women’s college basketball every year, and Robertson is a candidate for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award, which recognizes the best shooting guard in the country.

This is the second consecutive season that Williams has been named to the Cheryl Miller Award preseason watch list, and Robertson is on preseason watch for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award for the fourth consecutive year.

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