Oklahoma Sooners pitcher [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag] received a lot of backlash for her decision to cross the Bedlam lines and transfer to OU last fall.
She faced immense pressure following her decision to move to Norman from Stillwater. Maxwell also stepped into the unenviable role of replacing [autotag]Jordy Bahl[/autotag], a dominant pitcher who was a legend in the crimson and cream.
Maxwell shouldered some of the blame when the 2024 edition of the Sooners didn’t always measure up to previous championship iterations.
But make no mistake about it, the Sooners don’t finish off their four-peat if Maxwell stays in Stillwater instead of moving to Norman. She was instrumental in making history happen. It was an emotional roller coaster of a season and the emotions came to a head on Thursday night.
I asked the #Sooners players at the press conference what was toughest about this season for them. Kelly Maxwell said her toughest was her decision to transfer to #Sooners: "I received a lot of hate, a lot of doubt. I’m just thankful for these girls and this staff."
— Ryan Aber (@ryaber) June 7, 2024
“Just gratitude,” Maxwell said after helping the Sooners win their unprecedented fourth consecutive WCWS title. “Just thankful for everything that I’ve been through and all that I’ve gone through and just being able to have a team that loves me an supports me — all the glory to God — and I think just being able to fight for them as they had my back too.”
Maxwell’s incredible week included shutting out UCLA in a 1-0 win on Saturday, rescuing the Sooners from elimination in a marathon win over Florida on Tuesday, and winning Game 1 against Texas on Wednesday on no rest.
All of this happened before [autotag]Patty Gasso[/autotag] called her in to seal the deal in Game 2 against the Longhorns on Thursday night.
The game teetered in the balance, as the ‘Horns were making a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. Maxwell, normally a starting pitcher, was brought into the game with two outs and two on to save the day. Maxwell got OU out of the inning with the lead, then finished off Texas 1-2-3 in the seventh to get the sweep.
Maxwell’s performances earned her Most Outstanding Player honors for the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag]. She was 5-0 with two saves and a 1.88 ERA, etching her name in history following a gutsy three week display of excellence.
When the book is written about the Sooners Dynasty, let’s all make sure we save a chapter for Kelly Maxwell. Championship number eight doesn’t happen without No. 28 refusing to back down and rising to the occasion to earn her first national title.
More: Social media reacts to Oklahoma’s national championship win over Texas
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