Raegan Beers Joins Elite Company: Oklahoma Star Lands on Wooden Award Final Ballot

Oklahoma's standout senior center Raegan Beers has earned a prestigious spot on the final ballot for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Sunday. This award, one of the most respected in college basketball, honors the nation's top player each year, recognizing excellence in performance, leadership, and character both on and off the court.

Beers is among an elite group of just 15 players selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board. This distinction makes her a candidate for the Wooden Award All-America Team and the coveted Wooden Award Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding women's college basketball player in the United States.

For Beers, this marks a career milestone as her first appearance on the final ballot. She also becomes the first Oklahoma Sooner to achieve this honor since the legendary Courtney Paris, who was a four-time finalist from 2006 to 2009 during her dominant tenure with the program.

A dominant force in the paint, Beers has been named a first-team All-SEC selection for the second straight season, underscoring her consistency and impact in one of the toughest conferences in the country. This season, she is averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting an SEC-leading 61.5% from the field. She complements that scoring efficiency with 10.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

Remarkably, Beers stands out as the only player on the entire Wooden Award ballot—and one of just two nationally—to average at least 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. This rare combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking highlights her versatility as a modern big who can dominate inside while contributing to the team's overall flow.

Her dominance extends beyond the stat sheet. Beers has been a top-10 finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, further cementing her status as one of the premier post players in the nation.

In SEC play, she has scored in double figures in 14 of Oklahoma's 16 conference games, providing a reliable offensive anchor for the Sooners. With 20 double-doubles this season, she ranks sixth nationally and holds the fifth-highest single-season total in Oklahoma program history—trailing only Paris's remarkable four seasons of production.

Beers' career achievements add even more weight to her candidacy. She is the only active Division I player with over 2,000 career points and 1,200 rebounds, a testament to her longevity, durability, and sustained excellence. After beginning her collegiate journey at Oregon State—where she earned accolades like Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Sixth Player of the Year, and multiple All-Pac-12 honors—she transferred to Oklahoma and has continued to elevate her game in the SEC.

Voting for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, presented by Principal, opens on March 16 at 6 a.m. ET and closes on March 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Voters will consider each candidate's complete body of work, including their performances in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

The Men's and Women's All-America Teams, along with the top five finalists for the Wooden Award Trophy, will be revealed on April 4 during the Men's Final Four festivities.

Currently, Oklahoma is positioned as a potential top-16 seed and is projected to host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games. The full bracket reveal is set for Sunday, March 15, adding extra motivation for Beers and the Sooners as they aim to make a deep postseason run.

The complete list of 2026 Wooden Award finalists includes:

Beers' inclusion on this ballot not only celebrates her individual brilliance but also shines a spotlight on Oklahoma's resurgence as a powerhouse in women's college basketball.

With her blend of size, skill, efficiency, and clutch performances, she is firmly in the conversation for national player of the year honors.