Booker Carries Texas Toward Title Hopes Despite Roster Turnover
Texas enters the new season ranked No. 6 nationally, leaning on All-American guard Madison Booker after losing three key contributors to the transfer portal and point guard Rori Harmon to the WNBA. The Longhorns open their campaign Wednesday night against Fairleigh Dickinson, carrying expectations as a top challenger to No. 1 South Carolina for the Southeastern Conference title.
Texas has earned a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed in three straight seasons and reached back-to-back Final Fours, ending a 20-year absence from that stage. Despite that run, guard Jordan Lee transferred to South Carolina, guard Aaliyah Crump moved to Duke, and forward Justice Carlton left for Houston following the team's Final Four loss to UCLA. Lee, Texas' second-leading scorer last season at 13.2 points per game, already started and scored 13 points in her South Carolina debut against Maryland. Harmon, meanwhile, was selected by the Washington Mystics in the third round of the 2026 WNBA Draft after a career in which she became the only Division I player with more than 1,500 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 350 steals. bkfc bets
Booker, now a fourth-year player, took over point guard duties as a freshman when Harmon was sidelined with a knee injury and has since become the focal point of Texas' offense. She needs 31 points to reach 2,000 for her career, which would make her the fourth player in program history to hit that mark. Her most recent Final Four appearance ended poorly - a 3-of-23 shooting performance against UCLA that included a blocked potential go-ahead layup in the final 20 seconds, Texas falling 51-44. It followed an 11-point outing in a blowout Final Four loss to South Carolina in 2025.
Coach Vic Schaefer said replacing Harmon's defensive presence, rather than her playmaking, poses the bigger challenge, with point guard Bryanna Preston likely to inherit primary defensive assignments. Schaefer called Booker the best player in the country entering the season. Texas' opener against Fairleigh Dickinson begins a schedule that will test whether the roster turnover affects a program still chasing its first national championship since 1986.
