Why OU basketball's Sahara Williams left home instead of joining Caitlin Clark, Iowa

NORMAN — Sahara Williams could’ve gone just about anywhere she wanted.

Williams could’ve went 80 or so minutes from her Waterloo, Iowa, home and played a season with superstar Caitlin Clark at Iowa.

She could’ve gone 90 or so minutes away to Iowa State with the chance to succeed Ashley Joens as the Cyclones’ top playmaker.

Or she could’ve gone to any number of other women’s basketball powers.

But Williams picked OU.

On Saturday, the freshman makes her return to her home state when the No. 24 Sooners take on Iowa State at 6 p.m.

“I think she was ready to go,” Sooners coach Jennie Baranczyk said of Williams’ decision to leave her home state for college. “But I also think she’s really excited to go back. I think there’s a lot of people that are going to come see her.”

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How Sahara Williams landed with Sooners

It was Baranczyk that drew her to Norman.

Baranczyk was among the first to start recruiting Williams, way back when Williams was in seventh grade.

But it quickly became apparent that Williams was unlikely to wind up at Drake, where Baranczyk coached at the time.

Williams ultimately was a five-star prospect according to ESPN, the No. 23 player in the 2023 class according to the site. She earned McDonald’s All-American honors, helped Team USA win gold at the 2022 3x3 World Cup and was named to the 2023 USA Women’s Nike Hoop Summit Team.

While playing for Baranczyk at Drake was a stretch, playing for her at OU wasn’t.

“I felt like she would understand where I want to go and where I’m coming from and I can build my own legacy here and just be different,” Williams said. “You go anywhere else, there’s always big names. But I feel like the system she has, I would really fit in here. I could achieve every goal I want to achieve.”

Williams’ freshman season has been a bit of a rollercoaster so far.

She fought foul trouble in last weekend’s Bedlam victory and was limited to 16 minutes yet scored 15 points.

In Wednesday’s win over TCU, Williams was scoreless entering the fourth then exploded for nine quick points early in the final quarter to help the Sooners put the Horned Frogs away and extend their winning streak to seven to stay in first place in the Big 12.

“She just has a really good presence when she’s on the floor — good, bad or otherwise,” Baranczyk said. “In the first half of the game (Wednesday), I don’t think she necessarily brought the presence. … I think she was challenged — I challenged her, Vaeh (Tot) challenged her. I think it’s great growth. I think she’s one that, she got us a lot of opportunities.”

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Sahara Williams just 'fits' OU system

Williams comes into Saturday’s game averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in Baranczyk’s free-wheeling system.

“The way her personality is, it fits,” Baranczyk said. “It fits us. It fits them. You kind of let her just kind of go sometimes.”

That system is a big part of what drew Williams to OU.

“You can’t really hide,” Williams said. “Everyone’s involved. You have to play unselfishly, which I feel like fits me tremendously. I like to get everyone else involved. You have to move. It’s read and react, it’s not a set play and just, ‘Now what?’ You’ve got to play ball. You’ve got to hoop. It kind of exposes whether you can play or not.”

Women’s basketball has been big in Iowa long before Joens wreaked havoc on the Big 12 or Clark became a household name.

Baranczyk, an Urbandale, Iowa, product who played at the University of Iowa, said the girls high school state tournament has long outdrew the boys.

Williams is a product of that environment.

When she won the gold medal, Waterloo held a parade in her honor and she was presented with a key to the city.

She figures to be welcomed back Saturday, even if she’s on the other side from most of the fans at Hilton Coliseum.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are going to come see her,” Baranczyk said. “She has a ton of people in that state look up to her and will be there on Saturday for her.”

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No. 24 OU at Iowa State

TIPOFF: 6 p.m. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU freshman Sahara Williams ready to make her return to her home state