TOP AREA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES OF THE LAST 30 YEARS: HAILEY TUCKER

By Mike Tupa

Aug. 1, 2025

BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT

During his nearly 30 years of covering area high school sports for either the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise or the Bartlesville Area Sports Report, Mike Tupa has enjoyed the opportunity to observe some incredible athletes.

This is an ongoing series highlighting each few days one of those athletes from the 1996-97 school year through the present. The list is not in chronological order. The athletes are presented in random sequence.

Today's spotlight:

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HAILEY TUCKER

Girls basketball (mid-2010s)

Hailey cast a tall shadow on Lady Bruin basketball history.

She possessed the height of a dominant post player (listed at either 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3), graceful mobility, the soul of a point guard, the long-range shooting accuracy of Luke Skywalker's X-wing fighter and the stamina of a frisky puppy.

To summarize, she pretty much had it all as an impact player.

During her tenure in a Bartlesville uniform Bartlesville advanced three different seasons to the area round of the playoffs — and twice finished just one win away from qualifying for the state tournament.

She set the career scoring record for Bartlesville (1.869 points). Her senior year she averaged 23.7 points and approximately nine rebounds per game and also posed a major threat from behind the three-point line.

During her four years on the varsity (2011-15) Bartlesville girls basketball recorded 64 victories — compared to approximately 25 wins the previous four seasons combined.

Big-time college women's basketball programs cast their nets to try to pull Tucker aboard.

But she decided to go the community college route, choosing to attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), with the goal of winning a NCAA-II national title.

Oh, she and her Lady Dawg teammates came so close! In Tucker's senior season, SWOSU swarmed to a 35-2 record while advancing all the way to the national championship game — only to lose in double-overtime.

Tucker left the Great American Conference with an indelible legacy. 

Her major honors and achievements in the GAC are too many to list.

At the top of the resume:

— A four-time First Team All-GAC selection.

— NCAA-II Women's Basketball Central Region Player of the Year (2018)

— GAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year multiple times.

— GAC Female Athlete of the Year (all sports) (2019)

— GAC Distinguished Scholar Award winner.

— The USBWA National Player of the Week in November 2018.

— A NCAA Division II All-American.

— Women's Basketball Coaches Association First-Team All-American (2019)

— All-Time leading GAC basketball scorer (more than 2,000 points).

— SWOSU's All-Time leader in made three-pointers (more than 270).

— Final complete college stats: 129 games (128 starts), 2360 points, 276 three-pointers, 936 rebounds, 257 assists, 175 steals, 224 blocked shots.

Tucker's relationship with the Bartlesville fans feature a unique aspect. During her time at SWOSU, Bartlesville played host every March to the GAC postseason basketball tournament.

That meant Tucker got to come back to compete in her home high school gym for a weekend every spring and be cheered on by Bartlesville folks.

As mentioned, the 2018-19 SWOSU team stampeded to a 35-2 record — winning 35 straight and finishing unbeaten in GAC games — and played for the national title.

In 2024 she became a member of the SWOSU Hall of Fame.

In the years following her college playing days, Tucker pursued a media career as both a content specialist and a reporter-broadcaster and anchor.

This reporter still recalls Tucker as an elementary-aged girl when she used to wait outside the office of her mom — who was the Dewey High head girls basketball coach — to finish up post-game tasks.

Even then, Tucker sported a compelling, shy grin and sparkling personality. She grew up to be an effervescent basketball talent that still casts a tremendous shadow in Lady Bruin hoops.

Hailey Tucker