Langston University

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 3 on April 25, 2025.)

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

The Lady Lions knew they were about to make history.

With 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they led the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers 63-49. They just needed to run the clock out.

The entire bench was on their feet, and The Den was alive with excited anticipation. The cheering had already started, and the moment the clock ticked 0, the Lady Lions rushed onto the court and embraced their teammates.

For the first time in program history, they were the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions. They were also the first Historically Black College or University to earn the title for SAC women’s basketball.

“It felt awesome,” said senior forward Ruth Sodipe. “Especially since it was senior night, it was the last home game of the season, so it was really awesome getting to do it in front of the fans and being able to celebrate and be happy with the girls.”

The team savored the moment in the minutes following the game, celebrating with each other and their families before heading down to the locker room. Then it was back to business.

A week later, the Lady Lions swept the SAC Tournament for another SAC Championship, also a program and HBCU first. Then they played in the NAIA National Tournament, making it all the way to Sioux City, Iowa, to play in the Round of 16.

The team played with such fierce determination and noticeable cohesiveness all season that one would think this was the culmination of four years playing together under Head Coach Chris Vincent. In reality, this was most of the Lady Lions’ first year at Langston University and Coach Vincent’s first year at the helm.

Building an Elite Culture

Just three months after a last-minute national championship loss as assistant coach of the LU men’s team, Chris Vincent was hungry for another shot at a ring. He took over as head coach for the Lady Lions on June 15, and with only four girls returning from the previous season, he had six weeks to hire support staff and recruit players. Time was of the essence, but this was a step that couldn’t be rushed.

He needed to find coaches and players who would buy into Langston University’s “Be Elite” mindset, and that started with holding himself to an Elite standard as a recruiter. He spent hours scouring the transfer portal before hitting the road, traveling to several states to meet with players. He worked at all hours of the day and night, calling and messaging players while reviewing resumes for assistants.

“Those six weeks were exciting, but they were also very stressful,” Vincent said. “You know, just being by myself and trying to do it all. There was a lot of hours on the phone, a lot of isolated conversations in my office.”

Despite the ticking clock, Vincent made time to get to know each of the players he was asking to join his team and gave them an opportunity to get to know him as well. The future Lady Lions could already tell a difference between this program and others they had been a part of.

Sodipe was ready to join the team after Vincent flew to El Paso, Texas, and took the time to work out with her and talk about her goals. Diamond Richardson was set on Dear Langston after hearing Vincent speak so highly of the school then visiting the campus herself. Mikayla Woods committed to LU two days before school started after a long phone call with Vincent where they talked extensively about what she could accomplish with the team. Jordan Brown came because of the connection she felt with Vincent.

“He saw my little highlight tape and reached out to me, and we really had a connection,” Brown said. “I never really had that coach-player connection at my last school like that, so it was really big on me to get that this year. So I talked with him, I came on a visit and I really thought he was genuine.”

Those initial conversations and connections attracted a lot of Vincent’s recruits to LU. It was clear he was passionate about basketball and determined to build a championship team, but it was also clear he cared about his players off the court. The same way Dear Langston considers the entire Lion Pride to be a family, Vincent wanted his team to be one, too. The Lady Lions were on board with that.

In August, Vincent brought in Ashley Bruner as assistant coach and E’Donis Harris as a graduate assistant. With a full staff and roster, he called the first team meeting of the year.

For Vincent, that first meeting was crucial to set the tone for the year. It was an opportunity for the players to get to know the coaches better, and it was a chance for them to begin to get to know one another, too.

They talked about each of their past experiences at other schools and in various programs. They opened up about injuries and everything they had been through, good and bad. As the meeting went on, they began to build trust with one another.

“We had to open up to one another, and I feel like that was big because in other programs, you kind of do that later on in the season,” Richardson said. “I feel like building that foundation, building that culture and identity from the jump rather than later was very important.”

Winning the Day

After that meeting, the Lady Lions got to work. Every day, they lifted weights, went to class and practiced in the evening. Even when Vincent gave them a day off to rest and recuperate, many of them still found their way to the gym, taking pride in calling themselves “Gym Rats.”

When their season opener arrived at the end of October, they trounced the Wiley University Wildcats 91-28. They swept their non-conference games but began their conference play with a 71-78 loss against Wayland Baptist University. It didn’t matter; they kept working.

One of Vincent’s catchphrases for the team was “Win the Day.” He told the players to take it day by day, one game at a time. Don’t let a bad game or bad practice stay with you; move on to the next day. When there’s a good game or practice, sit with it a moment and enjoy it, but then move on to the next day. He reminded them their goal was not to win any single game, but to win a championship.

“If you can set yourself up to try to reach that goal of excellence, of being elite, it’s just going to make you such a better player and a better person,” Vincent said. “That’s kind of what our culture is, and that’s something that we really stress. And they’ve really bought into it.”

The Lady Lions strove to Be Elite and Win the Day, and they held themselves and one another accountable to that standard.

In practice, when one person made a mistake, their teammates would give them pointers and encouragement to fix it. The coaches were patient but firm, and the player herself would drill it until she got it right. In the locker room at halftime, they didn’t wait for the coaches to come in and tell them what they needed to work on; they told each other. After wins, they celebrated in the locker room before pivoting to focus on their next game.

As the season went on, they continued to grow closer as a team, players and coaches alike. It showed in how they played.

Renee James, an LU alumna and decades-long Lady Lions Basketball fan, said it was evident from her seat in the stands how close the team had grown and how much they trusted one another. Sometimes they would start a game slow, but then they’d regroup, talk to one another and the pieces would fall into place.

“They are so awesome,” James said. “They want to be together, and they work so well together. I love watching them play. I love their energy. They make watching women’s basketball fun!”

After their loss to Wayland, the Lady Lions went on a 19-game win streak, which included a rematch with Wayland at home. They lost to Texas Wesleyan University on the road but bounced back with a 64-61 win against the Rams two weeks later. They were 22-2 in conference play for the regular season.

The Lady Lions knew their team was special from the beginning. Winning the SAC Regular Season Championship and SAC Tournament Championship just confirmed for everyone else what they already knew.

When asked what set their team apart from the others, Sodipe said it was their competitiveness. Brown said it was their persistence. Richardson said it was their commitment to playing together. Woods said it was their winning culture.

“We’re very unselfish, and we’re really versatile,” Woods said. “We have a lot of different pieces, and I just feel like our chemistry is great, even off the court. We’re cool off the court and have a great time off the court, and I feel like that helps us on the court.”

Heads Held High

Though their season did not end in a national championship, it did end in success. The Lady Lions ended their season 31-3, tying the record for most single season wins in program history. Several players earned accolades throughout the year, including Woods who was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA All-American and an NAIA Second Team All-American, the first NAIA All-American selection for the Lady Lions since 2022.

After the team’s hard fought Round of 16 loss in Iowa, there was a more somber atmosphere in the locker room than there had been all season. Many fought to hold back tears and others let them flow, not just upset about the end of their national championship pursuit but also about the end of their time playing together.

Coach Vincent looked around the room at the young women who had become a family this season, and he told them to hold their heads high. They had played hard. They had accomplished so much. They had made history.

“I want you all to know, I wouldn’t trade any of you for anything else,” Vincent told them. “I’ve come to not only love coaching you but also loving you as people. I want you to remember, this family is something no one can take from you. Keep your head up.

“I love you guys, all right.”