As the Oklahoma women’s basketball team prepares for its Sweet 16 matchup against UConn on Saturday night, its staff has also kept an eye on the program’s long-term future.
And on Tuesday, Sooners officials erupted in cheers when they saw top 2025 prospect Aaliyah Chavez announce her commitment to Oklahoma—a potential program-changing decision.
Chavez, a founding player of Overtime Select in 2023 who won the most recent National Gatorade Player of the Year award, picked Oklahoma over schools such as Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA and South Carolina. The Lubbock, Texas, native made her announcement live on SportsCenter—just a glimpse of the publicity that might follow the McDonald’s All-American in the coming years.
The Sooners face heightened financial competition following their move to the SEC, which has produced the last three national champions—South Carolina in 2024 and 2022, and LSU in 2023. Adding Chavez could help them keep pace.
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South Carolina flexed its financial strength earlier this year by giving head coach Dawn Staley a record contract of $25.25 million over five years, while LSU joined the Gamecocks in spending more on its women’s hoops squad than its men’s in 2023-24. Even Kentucky, historically known more for its men’s basketball success, made a splash by swiping head coach Kenny Brooks and coveted transfer Georgia Amoore from Virginia Tech last year, in order to keep up with the rest of the conference.
Brooks’ contract overtook what Kentucky predecessor Kyra Elzy received. Elzy was in line to get $800,000 this season total before her dismissal; Brooks earned $1.4 million between base salary and multimedia and endorsement related compensation.
Oklahoma ranked No. 15 in spending on its women’s basketball team among public schools in the last year with available data (2022-23). It spent $6.6 million compared to $11.9 million on its men’s program. Since then, it has reaffirmed its commitment to women’s basketball with major transfer portal and high school recruiting moves, distinguishing itself in an era when women’s sports are more lucrative than ever.
With the help of transfer Raegan Beers, its leading scorer, Oklahoma is a No. 3 seed in the 2025 tournament—its highest mark since 2010. To get Beers, OU reportedly bested UConn and other powerhouse programs. While NIL financial details surrounding the transfer have not been disclosed, Beers was among the most sought-after movers alongside Kiki Iriafen (Stanford to USC) and Hailey Van Lith (LSU to TCU).
The Beers transfer also offered a look at how conference realignment and TV money are affecting women’s basketball. Beers joined Oklahoma from Oregon State, which was stripped for parts last offseason following an Elite Eight trip because the Pac-12’s fracturing clouded the Beavers’ future.
Beers is eligible to return in 2025-26 and play with Chavez, setting up head coach Jennie Baranczyk’s team to be a main attraction for fans nationally. Oklahoma will also welcome a pair of other top 100 prospects in Keziah Lofton and Brooklyn Stewart.
Prominent Oklahoma alumnus Trae Young, now with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, emphatically voiced his approval on X following Chavez’s commitment. “NORMANNNN WE UP!!!!!!!!” Young wrote. “Welcome to the Sooner Family lil sis!!! BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!”
While Chavez is the talk of Norman, Okla., this week, Oklahoma’s women’s sports growth isn’t limited to the hardwood, either.
The Sooners have won six gymnastics national titles in the past 11 years and softball championships in each of the past four seasons. The softball program, which carries the biggest budget in the nation, is renowned for paying up for top talent.