Oklahoma’s first road trip of the season is a special one. 

Jennie Baranczyk’s Sooners tip off the season in Paris against No. 12 North Carolina. 

The contest will pose a challenge, but also allow OU to bond in a special way. 

An overseas trip to start the year is rare, but getting toured around Paris by a teammate is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

How to Watch Oklahoma vs. North Carolina

• Date: Nov. 2
• Time: 1:30 p.m.
• Where: Paris, France
• Channel: ESPN2

“I’m so excited and also thankful because as an international student… I don’t think a lot of people get to play in their hometown,” sophomore Daffa Cissoko, a Paris resident, said. “I live literally 30 minutes from the arena, so I’m really thankful and can’t wait to show where I live, where I go, to show my environment to all those people because they are my family here, but they also get to see my hometown. 

“So I’m really thankful and grateful.”

The first road trip of the season always allows a team to come together, but that process will be crucial for a Baranczyk team that is in transition. 

Aaliyah Chavez and Sahara Williams are back to lead the way, but the No. 21 Sooners have a host of new faces who are working to get up to speed. 

OU signed a pair of fifth-year bigs in Sa’Myah Smith and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu via the transfer portal, as well as two former 5-star sophomores in Jordan Speiser and Norman product Keeley Parks. 

Baranczyk also added a trio of freshmen, headlined by forward LeeLee Bell, who all hope to bring shooting around Chavez. 

“I really like our depth, and the best thing we can do with depth is to get experience,” Baranczyk said. “And in order to get experience you’ve got to have game minutes and there’s only 200 game minutes. So that’s one thing that’s going to be fun to watch our team. We’re kind of this scattered puzzle right now. 

“… You really have to figure out how those pieces work together and which pieces work together the best.”

There’s not a single player who will be able to fill the shoes of Raegan Beers, so Baranczyk hopes to offset her production in the aggregate. 

Smith, who arrived in Norman from Virginia after starting her career at LSU, will bring size and skill, but she’ll also be looked to for leadership. 

“What Sa’Mayah brings is an incredible amount of experience,” Baranczyk said. “… She’s won a National Championship. She’s the only one on this team or in this program that has. So she knows what it takes.”

The Sooners also worked to add shooting and playmaking around Chavez. 

Baranczyk is already excited to unleash the duo of Chavez and Parks, who OU hopes will be able to stress opposing defenses throughout a difficult non-conference schedule and another trip through the Southeastern Conference.

“(Parks has) grown a lot this summer,” Baranczyk said. “… What she does so well is she just has a very good feel for the game. … I love watching her and Aaliyah play.”

By the time the Sooners get to conference play, they’ll already be battle-tested — something that excites Baranczyk as the season gets underway. 

“We’re just at the beginning stage of this next wave to see where they can go,” she said. 

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