A Season to Remember: Patty Gasso, Sooners reflect on special run to WCWS Semifinals

As the dust settles on another Women's College World Series, Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso stood at the podium with her signature blend of pride and perspective. Despite the Sooners’ season ending in the semifinals, Gasso called it "one of the most enjoyable seasons I've had in a long time," a powerful statement from the leader of college softball’s greatest modern dynasty.

“Congratulations to Texas Tech,” Gasso began, tipping her cap to the team that ended Oklahoma's pursuit of a fifth consecutive national title. “They earned that. They played well, hit well, and pitched well. Well-deserved.”

New Faces, Same Fight

With 14 newcomers, including transfers and freshmen, Oklahoma entered the 2024-25 season facing more questions than ever. Yet the team not only answered those questions, they turned them into statements.

“I just shared with them in the locker room how much fun I had coaching them, watching them grow, watching them be hungry, watching them never quit,” Gasso said. “We’re standing at the World Series as one of the top three teams left with a team of 14 newcomers. That’s miraculous.”

Veteran Cyd Sanders echoed that sentiment.

“Everybody was against us,” she said. “And we ended up in the semifinals. I’m proud to end my career like this.”

A Season of Belief

Time and time again, Oklahoma showed resilience, earning comeback wins and making clutch plays in late innings. One of the most dramatic moments came in the semifinals when Abby Dayton delivered an 0-2, two-out, seventh-inning hit to tie the game.

“As long as they have a swing left, they believe,” Gasso said. “And they do. That’s proof of it.”

Pitcher Sam Landry, who transferred from Louisiana and carried a heavy emotional load against her former teammates now at Texas Tech, gave everything she had.

“I just kept telling myself to leave it all out there,” Landry said. “I’m really proud of Abby. Hats off to NiJaree. She threw a very good game.”

“I haven’t felt this in a while,” Gasso said. “So no one’s feeling sorry for me, I’m sure. But you always want to raise a trophy and just celebrate down at Toby Keith’s place. That’s kind of been our place for the last four years.”

Faith, Family, and the Future

Throughout the press conference, players and coaches spoke freely about their faith, a consistent theme under Gasso’s leadership.

“I think it’s hard to get sad when you know that God already wrote this story,” Ella Parker said. “It turned out exactly how He wanted.”

Cyd Sanders added, “It’s really hard to be sad when all we’re doing is praising God and giving Him the glory and just having fun out here with our best friends.”

And while some players are moving on, others are already looking ahead. Sydney Barker, part of the promising young core, reflected on how this team bonded in ways that went beyond the field.

“We used our differences and our superpowers to work together,” she said. “Regardless of what happened on the field, I’ll remember how we gelled together.”

“Their ability to believe has been unbelievable this season,” Gasso said. “I just don’t want to think about next year right now. This team did some miraculous things.”

Legacy in Motion

The championships, the rings, and the streaks are part of OU’s legacy, but Gasso is focused on something deeper.

“I just do my job,” she said. “Turn girls into women and help them become elite softball athletes. But more importantly, I want them to leave saying, ‘I’m equipped for anything.’”

While this season didn’t end with a trophy at Toby Keith’s bar, OU's traditional post-championship hangout, the pride was unmistakable. The Sooners were already surrounded by alumni like Riley Boone and Shay Knighten, who cheered them on from the stands and helped carry the torch of tradition.

“This is a new legacy that’s starting,” Gasso said. “And it’s in very good hands.”

For Oklahoma, the 2025 Women’s College World Series won’t be remembered just for what was won or lost, but for how a team of mostly strangers became family and how, even in defeat, they reminded the softball world of what makes this program truly special.