One of the things that stings about being so close to immortality is coming up just short. I remember back in 2020 when the Dallas Stars were two wins away from becoming Stanley Cup Champions, only to be beaten by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. You could hear a pin drop in the locker room after that loss, and it's precisely what it sounded like when the South Carolina Gamecocks beat Texas Women's Basketball in the Final Four in March. Texas was two wins short of being national champions.
Later tonight, the Longhorns begin another treacherous journey back to the Final Four as they look to redeem last year's team and win the national championship. It's not going to be an easy task for Texas to wave a magic wand and automatically clinch a spot in the Final Four. Countless hours putting up shots in the gym and watching game footage start tonight when the Longhorns face the Incarnate Word Cardinals at the Moody Center. The game will be on the SEC Network+.
The Longhorns welcome back their two top players, who got them to the Final Four. Senior guard Rori Harmon, who racked up numerous preseason honors at SEC Media Day, and you can't forget about Junior forward Madison Booker, who is one of the best small forwards in the nation. Madison is the offensive catalyst for the Longhorns. Vic Schaefer loves running the offense through her because she draws a lot of attention on the court. When that happens, it leaves her teammates open for uncontested shots.
The two players the Longhorns are going to miss dearly this season are Taylor Jones and Shay Holle. Both have graduated and have gone on to do great things in the world. However, Schaefer didn't sit and pout about losing both of these players. He went out in the transfer portal and acquired a couple of good transfers that will replace the offensive production lost with the departure of Holle and Jones from the program.
Junior forward Breya Cunningham transferred in from Arizona State and she's one of the newcomers who impressed fans when the Longhorns participated in the GLOBL JAM. She's one of the transfers who might actually be in the starting lineup tonight. Another newcomer to keep an eye on is Sophomore forward Lovisa Asbrink Hose. She transferred from Florida Atlantic and was one of their top rebounders last season. That should help replace the height the Longhorns lost over the summer.
We also can't forget the one player the Longhorns were able to recruit from Minnesota, Aaliyah Crump. Her game reminds me a lot of Paige Bueckers, and once Schaefer can develop her game, they might have their own version of Bueckers. I'm sure Schaefer will use her a lot in non-conference games to see where she excels and where she doesn't. She'll probably get some time against the Cardinals since this might be a lopsided victory tonight.
We can't wait to cover another season of Texas Women's Basketball. These ladies don't give up until the final buzzer sounds, and Schaefer holds them accountable when they fail to meet his standards. The Moody Center better be packed all the way to the top of the arena tonight, cheering when the Longhorns take the court.
Here's to another great season of Women's Basketball under Vic Schaefer.