Texas Longhorns Return to the Final Four After 22-Year Hiatus
In a thrilling turn of events, the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team is heading back to the Final Four for the first time since 2003. The excitement is palpable as the No. 1 seed in the Birmingham Regional 3 outlasted No. 2 seed TCU with a 58-47 victory in the Elite Eight on Monday night. The Longhorns are now set to make their way to Tampa, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled.
Leading the charge for Texas was Madison Booker, the SEC player of the year, who delivered an impressive performance with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Her teammate, Rori Harmon, made a triumphant return this season after a knee injury sidelined her for most of the previous year. Harmon contributed 13 points and 5 assists, showcasing her resilience and skill.
For TCU, this marked the end of a historic season. The Horned Frogs, appearing in their first-ever Elite Eight, concluded their campaign with a 34-4 record. TCU center Sedona Prince faced a tough night, fouling out with 6:32 remaining and finishing with 4 points and 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, TCU guard Hailey Van Lith wrapped up her five-season college career with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Both players are expected to be top picks in the upcoming WNBA draft.
It’s been a long journey for Texas since their last Final Four appearance. Back in 2003, Hall of Famer Jody Conradt was at the helm, and the Longhorns faced off against Diana Taurasi and the eventual champions, UConn, in the national semifinals. Fast forward 22 years, and under the guidance of coach Vic Schaefer, Texas is eager to add another national championship trophy to their collection, the first since Conradt’s team went 34-0 in 1986.
This season, the Longhorns have been a force to be reckoned with, boasting a 35-3 record in their inaugural SEC season. Their next challenge is a familiar one, as they prepare to face conference regular-season co-champion South Carolina on Friday. This matchup will be the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, with each having claimed victories in their regular-season games before South Carolina triumphed in the SEC tournament final.
Friday’s game is set to be a historic one, marking the first time two SEC teams have met in the national semifinals or later since the 2017 title game. In that game, Dawn Staley and South Carolina defeated a Mississippi State squad led by none other than Vic Schaefer, who is now leading Texas.
For Schaefer, this will be his third trip to the Final Four as a head coach. He previously guided Mississippi State to the championship game in 2018, where they fell to Notre Dame. Schaefer also served as an assistant on the Texas A&M team that clinched the 2011 national championship. His impressive track record places him among an elite group of coaches who have taken multiple schools to the Final Four, joining the likes of Gary Blair, Kim Mulkey, Marianne Stanley, and C. Vivian Stringer.
- Gary Blair: Arkansas and Texas A&M
- Kim Mulkey: Baylor and LSU
- Marianne Stanley: Old Dominion and Stanford
- C. Vivian Stringer: Cheyney, Iowa, and Rutgers
Defense has been the cornerstone of Texas’s success this season. The Longhorns forced TCU into 21 turnovers on Monday night while committing just eight themselves. Their defensive prowess was also on display in their Sweet 16 victory over Tennessee, where they held the Lady Vols to 37.9% shooting and their second-lowest point total of the season.
As the Longhorns gear up for their Final Four showdown, fans are buzzing with anticipation. Can Texas capture their second national championship and etch their names in the history books once again? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: this team is ready to make their mark.
Originally Written by: Michael Voepel
