Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt is quietly building one of the best programs in the Big 12 Conference entering her fourth season.
Sandwiched around a hiccup of a second season in 2023-24 are two seasons with NCAA Tournament appearances, along with a trip to last seasons’ Big 12 Tournament semifinals. Hoyt has built up quality talent in recruiting but hasn’t been afraid to go into the transfer portal to find talent. This year, the Cowboys have brought in high-level talent like never before. It’s the spoils of two NCAA Tournament bids in the last three years.
Here is a preview of the upcoming season.
Oklahoma State Cowgirls
2024-25: 25-7, 14-4 in Big 12, third place. Lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament to Baylor. Lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to South Dakota State.
Head coach: Jacie Hoyt is entering her fourth season. He was previously the head coach at Kansas City and has a career record of 141-100. She is 60-35 at OSU. She’s led the Cowgirls to two NCAA Tournament appearances and Kansas City to a WNIT bid.
Big 12 history: Oklahoma State is an original member of the Big 12 Conference. The Cowgirls have never won the Big 12 regular season title or Tournament title. They have been to the NCAA Sweet 16 three times, most recently in 2014.
Oklahoma State Schedule: Click here for a complete 2025-26 Big 12 schedule.
Oklahoma State 2025-26 Roster Review
Gone: G Anna Gret Asi (11.8 ppg), F Maria Anais Rodriguez (1.4 ppg), G Rylee Langerman (1.2 ppg), G Brenna Butler (0.4 ppg), F Stacie Jones (3.3 ppg), G Kennedy Evans (0.2 ppg), G Alexia Smith (6.6 ppg), G Landry Williams, C Tenin Magassa (8.8 ppg).
Returning: G Micah Gray (13.7 ppg), G Jadyn Wooten (6.5 ppg), G Macey Huard (6.4 ppg), F Praise Egharevba (2.8 ppg), G Stailee Heard (16.8 ppg).
Incoming transfers: G Amari Whiting (12.3 ppg at BYU), C Favour Ogechukwu Onoh (10.7 ppg in 2023-24 at University of Philippines), F Achol Akot (6.6 ppg at UCF), G Haileigh Timmer (12.8 ppg at South Dakota State), G Tyla Heard (2.3 ppg at Oral Roberts), C Wilnie Joseph (3.8 ppg at McNeese State), C Faith Acker (9.3 ppg at Tarleton State)
Incoming freshmen: G Lena Girardi (freshman)
Projected Starting Lineup
G Stailee Heard: The team’s leading scorer each of the last two seasons. She’ll get Big 12 player of the year mention.
G Amari Whiting: Her mom was fired at BYU. She transferred to Oklahoma State. There’s a revenge game coming.
G Micah Gray: The second-leading scorer on the team last season.
G Haileigh Timmer: She helped SDSU beat OSU last year. More importantly, she hits 40% from the 3-point line. It’s a small lineup but OSU likes to create action off the dribble.
F Achol Akot: Her experience at UCF will be useful. She also averaged six rebounds per game.
Starting Lineup Crashers
G Jaydn Wooten: She was productive last year and with a year of improvement she can push Timmer for playing time.
C Wilnie Joseph: Brings length to the lineup but must prove she can score at a high-major level. But at 6-foot-5 she is the tallest player on the team.
C Favour Ogechukwu Onoh: One of the biggest wild cards in the entire conference, in terms of what she’ll bring in Year 1.
Lineup Competition
There aren’t many teams in the Big 12 that can say they have their top two scorers returning from a season ago. Hoyt can build a solid starting five around Heard and Gray, the latter of which transferred in from Seton Hall and had a fine season. Bringing in Timmer gives the Cowgirls a quality 3-point option and Akot gives them a forward that understands how to play physically in the Big 12. Whiting can slash to the basket and shoot well from deep. Wooten, Huard, Egharevba, Joseph and Acker give the Cowgirls solid depth across the lineup. Tyla Heard is Stailee Heard’s younger sister and if she’s anything like big sis, she’ll be a factor, too.
Early Prediction
This team is constructed much differently than Hoyt’s second edition, which followed her first NCAA Tournament bid in 2023 and failed to make any postseason play. That team didn’t have as much depth as this one and when injuries ravaged the roster, Oklahoma State suffered and sputtered. The portal additions give the Cowgirls the outside shooting they need to challenge the upper echelon teams in the conference. Joseph and Acker should give her solid depth up front behind Akot and Egharevba. The Cowgirls should be in contention for a Top 4 spot in the conference for the second straight season.
