OU softball has built a dynasty, and many other women’s sports are also flourishing in Oklahoma.
When Jayda Coleman first entered OU softball’s new Love’s Field earlier this year, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
“We finally have a facility comparable to the football team,” Coleman said. “Now I can tease Billy (Bowman, OU football player and Coleman’s fiancé) about it all the time.”
Both on OU’s campus and across the nation, women’s sports are flourishing.
The 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship game between LSU and Iowa attracted a then-record audience of 9.9 million viewers for a women’s college basketball game.
The Final Four rematch between LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark drew 12.3 million viewers.
The national championship game where Clark’s Hawkeyes lost to South Carolina averaged nearly 19 million viewers—the most-watched basketball game in the past five years and over four million more than the men’s title game between Purdue and UConn, according to Nielsen.
Viewership for the Women’s College World Series, which starts Thursday at Devon Park, has been steadily increasing in recent years.
Last year’s WCWS finale averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 2.3 million viewers.
That game’s ratings were surpassed only by the Sooners’ 2021 WCWS Championship Series-clinching win against Florida State in recent softball rankings.
Sooners coach Patty Gasso has been central to this softball surge, not only building her program into a dynasty but also elevating the sport’s national profile.
OU women’s basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk offers a unique perspective on the recent surge in popularity.
When Baranczyk arrived in Norman in 2021, Gasso’s program was already established as one of the nation’s best. Since then, it has grown further, winning the last three WCWS titles.
Baranczyk has known Caitlin Clark’s family for years, having hosted her at camps and watched her rise through the lens of both a family friend and an Iowa alum who was part of coach Lisa Bluder’s early success in Iowa City.
“You’re watching Caitlin become a household name, not just among women’s basketball fans or in Iowa,” Baranczyk said. “She’s really elevated herself. Look at what she’s doing in the WNBA.”
Clark’s regular-season WNBA debut for the Indiana Fever against the Connecticut Sun drew an average of 2.12 million viewers on ESPN2, the most-watched WNBA game in over 20 years.
Baranczyk added, “Lisa, Patty, and K.J. (OU women’s gymnastics coach) have elevated their sports. They aren’t just focused on their daily tasks but have lifted all women and women’s sports nationally. They’re strong, humble, and competitive, raising the level of those around them. I feel lucky to be around them.”
While Baranczyk attended the Final Four in person to watch Clark and the Hawkeyes, Gasso watched on television whenever possible.
“I love watching elite athletes, whether it’s bowling, golf, softball, or women’s basketball,” Gasso said. “I don’t care about the viewership stats. I care about watching 35-foot shots. It was unbelievable. I love good competition and elite athletes competing, and there’s nothing better than that.”
Jocelyn Alo and the ‘Ballers in Our Sport’
Jocelyn Alo has witnessed the changing perception of women’s sports since she arrived at OU in 2018. Throughout her record-breaking career, which ended with her holding the career home run record, and now in her professional career, which includes playing for the Savannah Bananas baseball team, she has seen significant shifts.
“People are starting to recognize us as more than just women playing with a ball,” Alo said. “We’re actually ballers in our sport. We’re incredibly skilled and work very hard at what we do, but we don’t get enough credit for it.
“With women’s basketball making waves in the postseason and the overall rise of women’s sports, it’s clear that we’re excellent athletes. It has taken time for people to recognize that, and now they are starting to. Softball is gaining more recognition, but it will take more effort to achieve the level of acknowledgment we know is possible.”
Jayda Coleman has closely followed the women’s basketball tournament in recent years, especially the performances of Reese and Clark.
“It honestly brings me to tears to see how much all women’s sports are growing,” Coleman said. “I want my daughter to be an athlete who doesn’t have to depend on a man to make her money, but can go out there and be a boss woman.”
OU third baseman Alyssa Brito has noticed a shift in the audience, both in the stands and in autograph lines.
“Young boys are now seeing female athletes and are amazed by them,” Brito said. “It’s inspiring not just for young girls but also for the next generation of young men who see the value in women’s sports. It’s about building a partnership and mutual respect.”
