Texas women’s basketball will make its SEC debut on January 2, taking on a schedule that includes teams that consistently top the NCAA rankings.
The Longhorns, under by head coach Vic Schaefer, have a roster full of veteran players with Big 12 experience, including senior forward Taylor Jones and senior forward Aaliyah Moore, who will be pushed into the new SEC environment.
Rori Harmon, a senior guard, will return to the floor after missing 12 games with a season-ending knee injury. Harmon was also granted an additional year of collegiate eligibility as a result of her injuries. Harmon led the country in assist turnovers prior to her injury and will most likely be an important part of the Longhorns’ lineup.
Here are the top three matches to watch out for this challenging season.
Oklahoma
Texas’ first court appearance in the SEC will be against its Red River rival. The Sooners will join the Longhorns in the SEC, and both will make their debuts against each other. The Sooners, like the Longhorns, went 14-4 in conference games last season, their final year in the Big 12.
Texas will play at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, where the atmosphere will most likely be loud and hostile. The pressure will be on to defeat OU, which has a strong team filled with seasoned players and a hopeful transfer. Raegan Beers, a junior center, transferred from Oregon State this spring, where she helped the team go to the Elite Eight in 2023. Other returning players include redshirt senior guard Lexy Keys and redshirt senior forward Skylar Vann, who will enter the SEC hungry to establish themselves.
South Carolina
The most intimidating contest for Texas comes against the reigning national champions, the University of South Carolina – the Longhorns will face the Gamecocks twice.
Dawn Staley, the team’s head coach, has taken South Carolina to three championships in the last seven years. Last season, the Gamecocks had a perfect 16-0 record, and this year’s roster was mostly unchanged. The only player to leave the squad was center Kamilla Cardoso, who went to the WNBA draft, reinforcing a strong lineup and a confident team that hasn’t lost a regular season game since December 30, 2021.
Players like as senior guard Te-hina Paopao, sophomore guard Tessa Johnson, and junior guard Raven Johnson will offer a significant threat to the Longhorns and help evaluate whether Texas is prepared for the obstacles that playing in a conference like the SEC would present.
Tennessee
Another game to watch this season will be on January 23 at home versus the University of Tennessee. The Lady Vols finished 10-6 last season, but they have a new head coach in Kim Caldwell.
Caldwell used the transfer channel to recruit new players, including Syracuse sophomore big Alyssa Latham and former Arkansas leading scorer and senior guard Samara Spencer. Returning players including as fifth-year guard Jewel Spear and senior guard Sara Puckett will provide fascinating matchups for the seasoned Texas club.
The two colleges, both claiming to be “the real UT,” had high scoring averages last season. The Longhorns averaged 80.1 points per game, and the Lady Vols averaged 76.3. If Texas wants to create an impression in the SEC, defeating Tennessee will be a step in the right direction.
About the contributor
Naina Srivastava, Senior News Reporter and Senior Photographer
Naina is a sophomore journalism major from Mountain View, California. She is currently a senior news reporter and photographer for the Texan.
