The Oklahoma Sooners' season once again ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, and if head coach Jennie Baranczyk plans on finally getting over that hump next year, she first needs to secure some players already on her roster before adding new talent.
This is the most obvious one, but also the most important. Aaliyah Chavez lived up to all the hype as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, leading the Sooners with 18.3 points and 4.2 assists a game while being named ESPN's National Freshman of the Year and Second-Team All-SEC.
Good news for OU fans is that immediately after the loss, Chavez already stated her confidence about next year for the Sooners and mentioned how close she is with her fellow freshmen, which should help Baranczyk keep the group intact. However, plenty of programs would be willing to offer a lot of money to get Chavez on their team, so hopefully that money doesn't talk too loud to ignore.
Barring a veteran Transfer Portal addition, Sahara Williams will be the only senior in the Sooners' starting lineup next season. That makes her an invaluable experienced leader for a team that will be loaded with talent, but will still lack the experience she provides, which is especially crucial during March Madness as she's now made two trips to the Sweet 16. If Williams finishes her career elsewhere, then Baranczyk will have to rush a young player into a calm leadership role.
Center Raegan Beers can't fully be replaced, but right now, freshman Daffa Cissoko, from France, is the Sooners' best hope. More than likely, Baranczyk will use the portal to find OU's next starting center, but with Beatrice Culliton also graduating, the Sooners need to avoid finding all three new centers via transfer and need Cissoko as a depth piece at the bare minimum.
Cissoko, listed at 6-foot-4, signed with OU after most recently playing with Pays Voironnais Basket Club in France's LIGUE 2 professional league, so she might not have college experience, but she's already went toe-to-toe with pros.