On Thursday, Oklahoma said goodbye to its seniors in storybook fashion. The Sooners defeated Texas 8-4 to secure their fourth-straight national title. There were 10 seniors on Oklahoma’s 2024 team. However, only five were part of the program for all four championships.
Outfielder Jayda Coleman, infielder Tiare Jennings, catcher Kinzie Hansen, outfielder Riley Boone and right-handed pitcher Nicole May experienced every moment of Oklahoma’s historic four-season run. After Oklahoma’s win on Friday, head coach Patty Gasso reflected on the special group.
“On Twitter, there was an interview, Jayda Coleman at 13 years old,” Gasso said. “She’s going, ‘Well, Patty is really hard.’ She’s just a little kid and she’s talking, saying my name out loud, which she would never do right now.
“She’s like, ‘I won in junior high. I’m expecting I’m going to win in high school. Now that I’m going to OU, we’re going to win it all there. I’m going to win it every year.’ She’s speaking it into existence as a 13-year-old. I just watched these athletes grow into women.”
Along the way, Oklahoma’s “Core Five” also won three Big 12 Tournaments, three Big 12 regular season titles and amassed countless individual accolades. In return, the fans’ interest and investment in the sport surged.
Oklahoma’s Core Five reaped the benefits of their hard work, moving from Marita Hynes Field to the Sooners’ new $47.9 million home at Love’s Field. Gasso was happy to be able to guide the group through the journey.
“They come in as girls, they really do. They’ll admit that. But each one of them has something about them that is unique,” Gasso said. “I’d say Jayda and Rylie Boone have so much energy. What you see is exactly what they are like every single day. They crash. When they crash, they crash hard. But they live life hard.
“Then you got Hansen, who is like the brute. Punch us in the mouth. I’m like, ‘Don’t do that, don’t do that.’ But that’s Hansen,” Gasso continued. “Tiare is just the calm, quiet, level. They all have such big personalities. Then there’s a balance of someone like Tiare.”
Now, it’s time for the group to move on to the next chapter of their lives. However, they will always have a home at Oklahoma.
“As much as I’m going to miss them, they’ve been here for a long time. They’ve done everything you could do and more. It is time for them to fly,” Gasso said. “There’s lots of things coming their way. I’m really excited for them. I just think, ‘Oh, gosh, I’m going to miss ’em.’
“We’re going to see each other a lot. Hansen, Karlie Keeney and Tiare are going to stay at graduate assistants. A lot of them are going to be great coaches, go into coaching… They all have wonderful things ahead of them. They’ve cemented this program in history. They’ve cemented themselves in history. History can change, but these guys will never, ever be forgotten.”
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