OKLAHOMA CITY – Head Coach Alexis Lawrence was hired this off-season amidst a time of change and transition within Oklahoma City University women's basketball. Lawrence will be on the sidelines in 2025 for her first year at the helm of the Stars. OCU's new coach looks to lead her team through this rebuild with a unique brand of culture, teaching, and competitive basketball
 
While in unfamiliar territory and facing the challenge of filling numerous roster holes, coach Lawrence promptly began finalizing her roster.
 
"Taking over in mid-to-late June meant I had to work fast to bring in the best talent still available. I'm really proud of the newcomers we've added and how well they've meshed with our returners."
 
Lawrence is assisted by returning lead assistant Hollis Giles who enters his second year at OCU.

 
Welcome Back
Multiple starters and seven players from last year's team are back for 2025. Upperclassmen construct the bulk of the Stars' returners, including graduate student Amanda Sene Da Cruz, senior Akajia Handsom, juniors Jerzie Bryant, Lauren Rowan, and Kendal Taylor. Sophomores Victoria Ososanya and Brooke Curry round out the returning players for OCU. This group returns 45 games started and 118 games played from the previous year. 
 
Bryant, a 5'8" guard from Midlothian, Texas,is the player who returns the most points per game with 8.1 per contest. Curry, an Oklahoma native, shot the ball at the highest percentage from deep last year at just over 35%. 
 
There are several Stars who will provide a spark for coach Lawrence's squad, but there are multiple returners that the Stars' coach will lean on during the 2025-26 season. 

"Jerzie Bryant, Amanda Sene Da Cruz, and Brooke Curry will play key roles this season. Jerzie's league experience, Amanda's versatility on both ends, and Brooke's leadership will be major contributors to the team's success," says Head Coach Lawrence. 

 

Newcomers
 Six fresh faces will be entering the fold as OCU women's basketball players. Of the six newcomers, four are juniors who transferred in—Monica Devine, Weronika Tomaszuk, Lia Sekhniashvili, and Desiree White make up the group of incoming juniors. Hailing from India is senior transfer, Sunishka Kartik. Sophomore Ellie Willard rounds out the newcomers for the Stars entering 2025. 
 
 
"Ellie Willard, Suni Kartik, and Weronika Tomaszuk are newcomers I expect to play big roles this season. Ellie brings steadiness, Suni adds explosiveness, and Weronika has a high basketball IQ. All three come from programs that know how to win, and they bring that mindset to the team every day."
 


Expectations
 Fast-paced, selfless, determined; these are just three adjectives that coach Lawrence will expect to be the backbone of her team's DNA. 

"My main goals this season are to change the culture and compete in every game," stated Lawrence.

The Stars' head coach wants to see her team be mentally tough while remaining selfless and competitive; this means the players giving 110% effort in every drill, each practice, and all weight sessions. How her team holds itself on and off the court is a tenet of Lawrence's coaching philosophy. 


 

The Opponents
 Lawrence's team will begin their season against Oklahoma Wesleyan at home in Abe Lemons Arena; the game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 25. 

OCU will face off against skilled non-conference opponents outside of Sooner Athletic Conference play. "The SAC is a tough conference, and it's going to be a battle night in and night out. We open the season on opening weekend against Oklahoma Wesleyan, who are always a competitive team. Then we head to St. Louis for the UHSP Classic, facing two programs with strong winning histories—Central Methodist and Ottawa University Arizona."
 
Around Thanksgiving, OCU will play a tough stretch of games as they are scheduled to play against Williams Baptist, who won their conference last year while only suffering one loss in the American Midwest Conference. Another staunch opponent the Stars will face is Sterling (Kan.); the Knights amassed 20+ wins last year and paced the Kansas City Athletic Conference. Oklahoma City will conclude its non-conference schedule right before the holiday and semester break when it takes on Hesston (Kan.). 

Coach Lawrence shared her thoughts on the construction of the Stars' schedule, "It will be challenging, but I think these games will prepare us for the level of toughness we'll see in the SAC."