The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the SEC in the preseason coaches poll that was released on Tuesday. Oklahoma is coming off a season in which it finished fourth in the conference and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
There’s a lot of optimism about the program ahead of their season opener on Nov. 3. Much of that optimism stems from the return of seniors Raegan Beers and Payton Verhulst. Beers was voted to the All-SEC Coaches’ first team while Verhulst was named to the second team.
Advertisement
Beers earned preseason All-American honorable mention honors from the Associated Press. She led the Sooners in scoring and rebounding with 17.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Verhulst led the Sooners in assists per game and was second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 14.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
The Oklahoma Sooners also bring back Sahara Williams and Zya Vann, players who were key to Oklahoma’s run last season. Beers and Verhulst will be key for the Sooners, and they’ll be joined by one of the more exciting true freshman in all of basketball in Aliyah Chavez. However, for the Sooners to go far, they’ll rely on Beers and Verhulst’s leadership under head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
The Oklahoma Sooners open the 2025-2026 season on Nov. 3 against Belmont at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Oklahoma Sooners 2025-2026 Schedule
All times are Central
Advertisement
-
Wednesday, Oct. 29: vs. Oklahoma Christian – Exhibition at 6 p.m. CT
-
Monday, Nov. 3: vs. Belmont at 4:30 p.m. CT
-
Monday, Nov. 10 vs. UCLA in Sacramento
-
Wednesday, Nov. 12 vs. Kansas City at 8 p.m. CT
-
Friday, Nov. 14 vs. North Alabama at 10:30 a.m. CT (Field Trip Day)
-
Sunday, Nov. 16 at Western Carolina
-
Wednesday, Nov. 19 vs. East Texas A&M at 6 p.m. CT
-
Friday, Nov. 28 vs. Coppin State in Coconut Hoops Classic at 5:30 p.m. CT in Fort Myers, Fla.
-
Sunday, Nov. 30 vs. winner of Florida State vs. Missouri State in Coconut Hoops Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
-
Wednesday, Dec. 3 vs. NC State at 6 p.m. CT – ACC/SEC Challenges
-
Sunday, Dec. 7 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. CT
-
Thursday, Dec. 11 vs. Little Rock at 6 p.m. CT
-
Saturday, Dec. 13 vs. Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. CT at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City
-
Monday, Dec. 22 vs. North Carolina Central at 12 p.m. CT
-
Thursday, Jan. 1 at Texas A&M Aggies at 7 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Jan. 4 vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs at 2 p.m. CT
-
Thursday, Jan. 8 vs. Ole Miss Rebels at 6 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Jan. 11 at Kentucky Wildcats at 3 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Jan. 18 at LSU Tigers at 2 p.m. CT
-
Thursday, Jan. 22 vs. South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Jan. 25 at Auburn Tigers at 1 p.m. CT
-
Thursday, Jan. 29 vs. Texas A&M Aggies at 6 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Feb. 1 at Texas Longhorns at 2 p.m. CT
-
Monday, Feb. 9 at Vanderbilt Commodores at 8 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Feb. 15 at Alabama Crimson Tide at 3 p.m. CT
-
Sunday, Feb. 22 vs. Tennessee Lady Vols at 1 p.m. CT (PINK GAME)
-
Thursday, Feb. 26 vs. Arkansas Razorbacks at 6 p.m. CT (SENIOR NIGHT)
-
SEC Tournament: March 4-8 in Greeneville, South Carolina
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Beers, Verhulst named to All-SEC Coaches Preseason Team
