UConn Women Take on Former Transfer Target Raegen Beers and No. 3 Oklahoma in Sweet 16 Showdown

When the UConn women’s basketball When the team steps onto the court in Spokane for the Sweet 16 on Saturday, they will be going up against a well-known rival.

The Huskies will need to face off against No. 3 Oklahoma, which is spearheaded by a 6-4 sophomore center. Raegan Beers , who has emerged as one of the most outstanding performers in the nation across the past couple of years.

Beers started her collegiate journey at Oregon State , which used to be a powerhouse in the Pac-12 and a contender for the national title, and was expected to be part of the Final Four discussion as long as Beers remained in Corvallis.

Subsequently, the Pac-12 fell apart, causing Oregon State's standing as a frontrunner to crumble as well, with players dispersing after realizing they would not encounter premier opponents within their conference anymore. The university temporarily aligned itself with the West Coast Conference for both men’s and women’s basketball competitions. In this process, eight crucial female athletes left; among these transfers were seven players bound for USC, UCLA, TCU, Kentucky, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and UC-Santa Barbara.

Beers was the most prominent among those names, and UConn. they made it clear they desired her In Storrs. However, the native of Littleton, Colorado chose to go to Oklahoma, as her family believed it was a more suitable choice. During her impressive season with the Sooners, she averaged 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while maintaining an astounding 64.5% field goal percentage, which proved to be highly effective. fifth nationally .

"It all boiled down to her figuring out where she wanted to be over the next two years, rather than solely focusing on victory or possibly making it to the Final Four," said Beers' father, Ike. told The Oklahoman After transferring, she said, "However, having the opportunity to influence the community and connect with her teammates made her feel that Oklahoma would be the most suitable choice overall."

Now, any route to making it to the Final Four during her junior year will go through UConn.

The move has worked out for the Beers family, and there’s no question it’s a closer trip from Colorado to Oklahoma than it would have been to the East Coast. Her father said the community in Norman feels similar to what it was like at Oregon State.

"When she departed from Corvallis and Oregon State, it was truly both joyful and sorrowful," said Ike Beers. told The Oklahoman Following their victory in the second round, they expressed, "We were hoping that she would secure a spot somewhere, and God would guide her to a welcoming community like Corvallis, where she'd feel cherished... This has been incredible. Given how near it is to Corvallis, we couldn't be more delighted."

Certainly, Oklahoma gained significantly from Beers' choice, resulting in the Sooners achieving an impressive record of 27 wins against 7 losses overall and securing a strong showing with 11 victories out of 15 games within a highly competitive SEC. The team advanced to the semi-finals of their conference tournament but were defeated by South Carolina. Their efforts secured them a third seed position along with the advantage of hosting the initial two rounds of the NCAA Tournament right at home in Norman.

The Oklahoma team dominated their initial pair of competitors, beating the No. 14 seeded Florida Gulf Coast with an 81-58 score and then easily overcoming the No. 6 seeded Iowa with a 96-62 victory.

Halting the Sooners largely depends on limiting Beer’s performance on offense; however, the second-seed Huskies must also face a skilled frontline featuring a talented sophomore forward. Sahara Williams (10.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game) and the senior forward Skylar Vann (10 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game). Senior guard Payton Verhulst The team's second-highest points contributor (14.9 ppg), this player also poses a multi-faceted threat with their rebounding (5.8 rpg) and playmaking abilities (4 apg).

UConn and Oklahoma are set to clash on Saturday in Spokane, Washington at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN, with the victor advancing to play against the winner of the other match. No. 2 seed USC (without star JuJu Watkins, out for the season due to a knee injury) and No. 5 Kansas State.

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