NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s Standing Ovation for Former OU Softball Star Goes Viral

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLONSI

Oklahoma catcher Isabela Emerling, left, and pitcher Sam Landry, right, talk during an NCAA softball game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Love's Field in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 28, 2025. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) held its Annual Salute on Wednesday, bringing together top athletes, coaches, business leaders, sports leagues and teams, philanthropists, members of the media, and more to celebrate and honor girls and women in sports.

As a Sports Showcase Partner for the evening, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) sent Volts’ ace and former Oklahoma standout Sam Landry and catcher and former UCLA star Sharlize Palacios to represent the sport.

In front of more than 700 athletes and industry leaders, Landry and Sharlize got to showcase their talents to the crowd by simulating live pitching in the aisle. 

One leader in the crowd was stunned. 

After Landry hit 66 mph and was showing off her changeups, the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, was locked in. He was up and out of his seat during the entire performance and even captured the moment on his phone. 

Silver, who came to support Herbert Simon, the owner of the Indiana Pacers and Fever, who was being recognized for his commitment to gender equality and to the advancement of girls and women in sports, was pleasantly surprised with the evening’s show. 

With the AUSL just coming off its inaugural season and making a partnership with Major League Baseball, the attention from someone like Silver is huge for the sport.

The theme of the evening highlighted the WSF’s 50-plus-year commitment to driving systemic change through collective action. It was the perfect opportunity for AUSL to shine, as professional softball is finally in a strong position, allowing collegiate players to have a future in the game after graduating. 

Landry is the perfect example of that. 

She blossomed into quite the ace in 2025 when she transferred from Louisiana to Oklahoma. Under the direction of pitching coach Jennifer Rocha, Landry helped lead the Sooners to a 2025 NCAA Women’s College World Series appearance. She posted a 25-6 record with four saves and a 1.94 earned run average in 37 appearances, including 27 starts. She logged 191.2 innings, tallying 186 strikeouts, six shutouts, and 19 complete games.

Additionally, she was honored as the 2025 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Newcomer of the Year and received First-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team recognition.  

Landry finished her incredible collegiate career with a 2.07 earned run average across 650.2 innings and recorded 646 strikeouts.

In her first season with the Volts, the rookie didn’t put up the greatest numbers, but Sooner fans know what she is capable of, and now Silver does, too.