Cowgirls Reflect on Season, Special Senior Class After NCAA Tournament Loss

The Cowgirls’ season might be over, but their legacy will live on.

Oklahoma State lost to South Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday to cap off one of the best seasons in program history. Although OSU had an earlier exit than it had hoped, it finished with the second-best winning percentage in team history at 25-7. With Jacie Hoyt leading a remarkable turnaround in her third season as head coach, she was quick to praise her team after the loss.

“Quite frankly, no one picked us to be here,” Hoyt said. “It's a team that was picked 11th and finished third in the Big 12. No one saw us being in the tournament. No one saw us doing all the things that we did. While I'm really proud of that and it was amazing, it's just the journey that I'm most proud of and thankful for.”

Throughout that journey, OSU steadily staked its claim as one of the best teams in the Big 12 and entire country. Wins over great teams such as TCU, Baylor and Kansas State helped the Cowgirls earn their first spot in the AP Top 25 since 2018.

Of course, Stailee Heard was the driving force for the Cowgirls this season. An All-Big 12 selection for the Cowgirls, Heard averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. While she was only a sophomore this season, she had strong words about what this team meant to her and how impactful her teammates have been on and off the floor.

“I have never been on a team or played with girls that I've enjoyed playing with so much,” Heard said. “This one hurts. This one hurts real bad because of the seniors. Every single one of them. I mean, [Anna Gret Asi] and I, we road through it last year.

“Then to get Tenin [Magassa] in and [Alexia Smith] and to ride it out with Rylee [Langerman] and Landry [Williams] and Stacie [Jones] and all them, I feel like it's just probably the best year I'll probably have in college with the girls I had this year.”

While the Cowgirls will lose some key seniors, the impact they had on the program was undeniable. As Hoyt looks to build OSU into a consistent contender, this season will be viewed as the standard, thanks in no small part to those playing their final college games with the Cowgirls.

“They mean the world,” Hoyt said. “Their names are going to be talked about as long as I'm here. They took it to a level that I've never been a part of in terms of their leadership from top to bottom. I think a lot of programs talk about family. They talk about sisterhood. It's real. It's palpable here.”