The Oklahoma Sooners won’t have to climb far to get to the top of women’s college basketball this season.
The Sooners came in just outside the top 5 at No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 that was released on Tuesday.
Sooners in top 10 of preseason AP Top 25
OU was one of eight ranked SEC teams with the league making up half of the top 10 with five teams, including No. 2 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 8 Tennessee. Other ranked SEC teams included No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 19 Vanderbilt and No. 24 Kentucky.
Defending national champion UConn, which ended the Sooners’ season in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, got the top spot despite losing star player Paige Bueckers.
NEW: Preseason Women's College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/83BK4PnU98 pic.twitter.com/V5RKRvr4UB
— On3 (@On3sports) October 14, 2025
The Sooners return all but one contributor from last season’s team that went 27-8 in its first year in a loaded SEC. OU then added the No. 1 overall player from the 2025 recruiting class in five-star point guard Aaliyah Chavez, who Trae Young predicted to be the next face of women's basketball. Chavez joins center Raegan Beers, who led the Sooners with 17.3 points a game last season as a First-Team All-SEC honoree.
With the mix of that much talent and experience both down low and up top, even a top-10 preseason ranking should be lower than where the Sooners end up this season in Year 5 under Jennie Baranczyk.
OU’s 2025-26 season will tip off with an exhibition game against Oklahoma Christian on Oct. 29. The season will officially start against Belmont on Monday, Nov. 3, at Lloyd Noble Center.