LeeLee Bell immediately shows Aaliyah Chavez isn't the only star Oklahoma has this season

This should be the only time Oklahoma freshman forward LeeLee Bell has to introduce herself. 

Bell led the No. 21 Sooners with 25 points to help topple No. 12 North Carolina 91-79 in their season opener on Monday, all the way in Paris, France. The upset not only asserted OU as a national contender to be reckoned with, but revealed that sophomore point guard Aaliyah Chavez isn’t the only star on the roster who could take over women’s college basketball in 2026-27. 

"I think it was amazing," Bell said during her postgame interview on ESPN2. "I just knew that I wanted to help my team out, and if I got the offense going, then it would get them going as well. That's what my goal was today."

Sooners upset No. 12 North Carolina in LeeLee Bell's historic debut

The 25 points put up by Bell is the most scored by a freshman in her OU debut this century. Most of her damage came from beyond the arc, draining three of seven three-pointers. She also added six rebounds, four assists, and a steal. 

A 6-foot-3 forward who can consistently make shots from outside is a dangerous new weapon at the Sooners’ disposal. 

Maybe we all should have seen this coming if we were paying attention. OU head coach Jennie  Baranczyk is an elite recruiter, and Bell is obviously another gem. 

Bell was a five-star recruit in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite, who chose OU over Louisville and Notre Dame. She was Gatorade Player of the Year in North Dakota, where was also the top prospect. She was the No. 31 overall player in the class and No. 10 power forward. 

It was already known that the Sooners would have a potent scoring threat at point guard with Chavez, who was ESPN National Freshman of the Year and CBS Sports National Freshman of the Year in 2026. She scored 14 against UNC for her 29th game in a row with double-digit points. She also posted five rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals for a stuffed stat sheet.

Senior Sahara Williams was expected to also be a big part of what the Sooners do. She put up 22 against UNC, with 13 of those points coming in the third quarter to help OU pull away from the Tar Heels after leading by only one point at halftime.

You can also add sophomore forward Brooklyn Stewart to the mix. She scored only three points in the season opener, but she led the way with 21 points in the Sooners' exhibition blowout over Southern Nazarene last week.

It's hard not to overreact after one game, but this was a top-15 opponent the Sooners just thumped, while also learning they have yet another weapon to who can do damage against even the highest level of competition in her first taste of college basketball.

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