The Texas Longhorns shot just 30.1 percent from beyond the arc last season – which ranked 224th out of 362 teams in the NCAA – but after making it to the Final Four, coach Vic Schaefer refuses to see it as a weakness.
“We choose to look at the fact that we were so good at the rim and in the midrange and then inside with our fives,” Schaefer said. “It’s a real strength that we didn’t have to rely on three-point shooting.”
The hard-nosed defense, inside presence and midrange dominance that became the prongs of the Longhorns identity are here to stay. After back-to-back seasons with 30-plus wins, an Elite Eight in 2024 and a Final Four in 2025, Schaefer and company like what they’ve built in Austin. And while he doesn’t see any weaknesses in his team’s attack, there is still room for improvement.
Because the Final Four isn’t the ultimate goal. A national title is.
“We certainly want to be able to shoot the three,” Schaefer said. “We didn’t quite do that last season, so we weren’t going to sit there and beat our heads against the wall and go 4 for 40 every night.”
Help from long range is on the way, though. Jordan Lee, a 6-foot sophomore guard who earned All-SEC Freshman honors, led the Longhorns in three-point shooting last season, making 34.2 percent of her attempts. Lee is in line for a minutes increase this year. Incoming 6-foot-1 freshman guard Aaliyah Crump is rated the No. 5 recruit in the country and is expected to add another shooting threat, while Texas’ star player, Madison Booker, saw an improvement in her shooting from beyond the arc from her freshman to sophomore seasons. Booker, a 6-foot-1 point forward, does most of her scoring in the midrange and at the rim, but she is capable of stretching her range, though she only averaged 1.6 attempts per game (40.3 percent).
Schaefer wants three-point shooting to be an addition, not a replacement for the offense his team played last season.
“We are always going to start with that (inside and midrange presence),” he said. “Then we want to expand our range and expand on the number of players that can shoot the three. Every team is unique though and it is too soon to tell exactly what this one will be.”
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There is plenty to build on, starting with Booker and 5-foot-6 senior guard Rori Harmon. After a torn ACL kept her out most of the 2023-24 season, Harmon averaged 9.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last year. Harmon is the defensive leader for the Longhorns while also serving as a second point guard option alongside Booker.
“Any time you can start your team with Madison Booker and Rori Harmon on the perimeter, that’s a good place to be,” Schaefer said. “They are probably two of the best guards in the country, and maybe the best tandem in the country.”
Booker, who led the Longhorns in scoring with 16.3 points per game, is the only returner who averaged double-digits last season. But Schaefer expects increased production from Lee (5.8 points per game) and Bryanna Preston (4.4 points per game) as they transition into their sophomore seasons.
“I love their heart and their competitive spirit,” Schaefer said. “I’ve found that the biggest jump players make comes between their first two years. Both of them had really good freshman years, and if they can make that big step to their sophomore year, they’re going to be really, really good for us.”
The Longhorns are returning a solid core that also includes 6-foot-6 senior forward Kyla Oldacre, but they lost three key players as well. Forward Taylor Jones (11.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game) and guard Shay Holle (6.2 points, 1.6 assists and 1 steal per game) both graduated, while guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds) transferred to Vanderbilt.
To fill the scoring gap, Schaefer signed 6-foot-4 junior forward Breya Cunningham (Arizona), 6-foot-1 senior forward Teya Sidberry (Boston College) and 6-foot-6 sophomore center Lovisa Asbrink Hose (Florida Atlantic). Asbrink Hose will redshirt, Schaefer said, but both Cunningham and Sidberry will play major roles next season. Cunningham averaged 11 points and seven rebounds last year for Arizona. Schaefer recruited Cunningham in high school and was impressed with her strength, footwork and finishing ability; he envisions her playing well alongside Harmon and Booker, who are both skilled interior passers. Texas will be the third school for Sidberry, who started her career at Utah and spent the last two seasons at Boston College, averaging 12.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game during her junior season. Schaefer praised her scoring ability, which dates back to her high school days, as Sidberry is the all-time scoring leader in Utah high-school history.
“We didn’t just go out and get mid-major transfers to play at the Power Four level,” Schaefer said. “We got Power Four talent to play at the Power Four level.”
But the incoming player who will likely have the biggest long-term impact is Crump, who Schaefer compared to Booker.
“She’s a big guard like Maddie, who can see the floor well and make those passes that a little guard might not be able to see,” he said. “She has a great mindset and she’s unselfish. She can also make shots from the perimeter and finish through contact at the rim. We are so excited for what she’s going to bring.”
Schaefer is hoping the additions can keep Texas on the path it’s been walking the last two seasons. An Elite Eight in 2024, a Final Four in 2025 and, hopefully, a title in 2026.
“I like the steps we’ve been taking,” he said.
