Cowgirls Making Strong Case For Spot in AP Top 25

Jacie Hoyt's squad should find itself in the rankings come Monday.

Oklahoma State guard Stailee Heard (32) looks to pass in the second quarter during an NCAA women’s basketball game between Oklahoma State and McNeese at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma State hasn’t made the AP Top 25 in seven years, but that should change on Monday.

On Saturday, the Cowgirls beat No. 17 West Virginia 64-57 to move to 14-2 this season, which matches the team’s win total from last season. With convincing wins against expected conference contenders Iowa State and Baylor as well, the Cowgirls have willed their way toward a spot in the rankings.

While OSU looked on track to make it into the top 25 last week, a loss to Kansas at home spoiled its hopes and left it in the receiving votes tier. However, Jacie Hoyt’s team has had two impressive victories since and should be in the running for a spot.

Last week, the Cowgirls finished 31st in voting, but a win over a top 20 squad should help cement their case to move up a few spots. Throughout the season, the Cowgirls have played at a high level and have typically dominated against inferior opponents. Their only two losses this season were both close contests against solid teams.

With the added firepower OSU has this season with players such as Macey Huard and Micah Gray, the team has overcome its lingering issues from last season. In 2023-24, the injury bug plagued the Cowgirls from the season’s opening games and eventually forced them to opt out of postseason play because they didn’t have enough healthy players.

So far, OSU’s top players have managed to stay on the floor and bring back the success Hoyt had in her first season at the helm. Hoyt’s first year marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 and gave the team something to look forward to under a new coach.

OSU couldn’t build on that momentum in Hoyt’s second year, but the team has shown it was only a bump in the road. As the Cowgirls head to Houston on Tuesday, they might finally enter a game with a number next to their name.

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