Looking Back, Looking Ahead: 2021 Class 6A State Championship

2021 Class 6A Championship Game – Norman 48, Bixby 37

The Norman Tigers squad of 2021 made national news and it wasn’t even for the reason that they should have. They perhaps were the best team that Oklahoma will ever see in 6A girls basketball and unfortunately, their run to what could have been a third championship in a row (the tournament was canceled in 2020) was marred by an idiot’s racist comments during the tournament that made national headlines. In the end, a tremendous championship game was played in the Mabee Center between a Norman team absolutely loaded with Division-I talent and a young Bixby team who have been together since elementary school and are hitting their stride at just the right time.

It was a huge third quarter for Norman defensively that spelled doom for the Spartans. The undefeated Tigers were only up four at the half, but there came a moment early in the third quarter when the Tigers stole the ball on four straight possessions and converted on buckets to extend the lead to 13 points before Bixby had even scored coming out of the half. This spelled doom for the young Bixby squad who never recovered. Bixby’s biggest run of the half came on a 6-0 run in the fourth, but it was too little too late. The Tigers claimed their second championship in a row, not counting the Covid canceled tournament where the team was heading into the tournament with a 24-1 record and quite possibly could have begun working on a “threepeat.” But, is the run over now? Is it Bixby’s time to shine?

2021 Runner-Up Outlook: Bixby Spartans (2020-21 Record: 19-6)

The Spartans went into the state tournament ranked No. 6, but really hit their stride at the right time and as mentioned above are really hitting their stride as a team at the right time. They have been playing together at school and the grassroots level for a long time and now as upperclassmen, they may be finally putting it together to make a run at a Gold Ball of their own for the 2021-22 season.

The lone senior starter from last year’s squad was No. 44-ranked Kate Bradley Kate Bradley 5'8" | CG Bixby | 2021 State OK who is playing at Oklahoma Christian currently. Bradley averaged 12.7 points per game last season and definitely could be hard for most teams to replace, but Bixby is loaded. They’re going to be ok.

Coming back is leading scorer, No. 12-ranked (2023) Gracy Wernli Gracy Wernli 5'9" | SG Bixby | 2023 State OK . Though she is only a junior this year, Wernli is already committed to D-I Abilene Christian. Last season she averaged 13.8 ppg and can absolutely fill it up from long range. She is absolutely deadly shooting the ball. Also committed to ACU is No. 13-ranked (2023) Meredith Mayes Meredith Mayes 6'3" | C Bixby | 2023 State OK who is a 6’1″ post player. She is a tremendous rebounder and defender who gets better and better at scoring inside every time I see her.

Yet another 2023 player who could be the biggest difference-maker for the Spartans this season is 6’0″ forward Alyssa Nielsen Alyssa Nielsen 6'0" | PF Bixby | 2023 State OK . She is currently projected as a high Division-II level prospect, though the more I have seen her this summer, the more I am beginning to think she really does have the athleticism and explosiveness to play at the Division-I level. In fact, while writing this I noticed that she picked up her first (well deserved) D-I offer back in late September from Oral Roberts and the rankings will probably change to reflect that sometime soon. Alyssa averaged 9.1 ppg last season and in the championship, she had 16 points and snagged four rebounds. She is a hard-nosed player who never takes a play off and just has that fire in her eyes – that “wants it” quality that coaches are looking for.

Gentry Baldwin Gentry Baldwin 5'5" | PG Bixby | 2023 State OK is another ranked – you guessed it, 2023 player – on this Spartans squad. She is No. 34 in our rankings and is an absolute defensive beast! She is a very good shooter and has done a great job of doing things this summer to make sure that she stands out individually. She is a facilitator on a very, very good team who does all of the little things to make her team win and it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. With all of the team camps and individual camps, Gentry has been able to really shine individually and show that she too is capable of playing college basketball at a very high level and deserves a lot of the same offers as her Bixby teammates!

Though this Bixby squad is loaded with a stellar junior squad that is well-rounded in terms of having almost every position covered, there is still help coming up from the middle school ranks this season. Sarahi Beltran Sarahi Beltran 5'3" | PG Victory Christian | 2025 State OK is the No. 37-ranked freshman this season and we have seen her at several stops on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. One, in particular, stands out because she scored 17 points for her EYG squad against a very good opponent. She scores from all three levels consistently and gives Bixby a slashing type of scorer that they really didn’t have on last year’s squad. If she is able to work within head coach Tina Thomas’ system, this Spartans squad will be right back on the Mabee Center floor in March. I have no doubt.

2021 Champion Outlook: Norman Tigers (2020-21 Record: 19-0)

Will the Tigers go undefeated again this season? I’d say probably not. Will they be back in the playoffs? I’d say most definitely. Will they be back on the Mabee Center floor for the championship game? I’d have to say… umm… ask me again in a month or so.

After yet another outstanding season, head coach Michael Neal has left to become an assistant with the Oklahoma Sooners Women’s Basketball team. Luckily, there was a pretty darn good coach waiting in the wings in Frankie Parks, his assistant coach and the director of Team Trae Young.

So, who else has left? Well, the No. 2-ranked player in the state is gone. Chantae Embry Chantae Embry 6'1" | PF Norman | 2021 State #72 Nation OK is at Texas Tech now. No. 5-ranked Kelbie Washington Kelbie Washington 5'6" | PG Norman | 2021 State #91 Nation OK is at Oklahoma with Coach Neal. That’s a total of 27 points per game between the two of them.

Luckily for the Tigers, they don’t rebuild – they just reload. Transferring in are the Rollins sisters, Jaki and Jordyn. Jaki is the No. 16-ranked player in the 2022 class, a guard who was All-State Honorable Mention at Mustang. She has great size, sees the floor well and is unselfish. She is already committed to Drury, along with her younger sister, who is a 6’1″ guard/forward and ranked No. 27 in the class of 2023. Jordyn is an outstanding post player who runs the floor well and battles very hard on the boards.

Two other senior starters for the Tigers will be Myka Perry Myka Perry 5'10" | CG Norman | 2022 State OK and Mikayla Parks Mikayla Parks 5'8" | SG Norman | 2022 State OK , our No. 2 and No. 3-ranked players. Perry is a tall and long guard who can basically do it all. She is committed to Florida. Parks is a dynamic scorer with tremendous handles that is committed to Kansas State.

The lone non-senior starter returning for the Tigers is No. 11-ranked Aaliyah Henderson Aaliyah Henderson 5'8" | PG Norman | 2023 State OK who will be a junior this season. She averaged 12.2 ppg as a sophomore, good enough for third on a team loaded with star talent last season. Henderson goes hard all game long and defends with ferocity. She is incredibly quick and despite being only 5’8″ shows surprisingly good post moves when driving to the basket. She has a preternatural ability to finish inside. She has a quick stroke from three and is a very, very good shooter. An all-around great player, Aaliyah currently holds offers from Alabama A&M, Howard, Eastern Michigan, Arkansas Tech and Hampton.

It remains to be seen if the No. 2-ranked player in the 2025 class will be able to help the Tigers this season or not as Keeley Parks Keeley Parks 5'11" | PG Norman | 2025 State OK recovers from a knee injury. Parks is an unbelievable guard with great size and speed that can literally do it all. The definition of a “game-changer,” she has the ability to take her defender one-on-one with speed and handles or simply stop and pop with the ability to rise up and hit from just about anywhere on the court. She is a great defender and once she is back on the court, she alone could have Norman back in the state championship conversation – luckily, she won’t be alone, however. Norman is loaded and it looks to be that way for the foreseeable future. No matter when Keeley is back, this Tigers team is a perennial favorite to hoist the Gold Ball come March.