Texas women’s basketball finally made it back to the Final Four after losing to South Carolina last season at this exact spot in the tournament. You would figure the Longhorns would feel good about their chances against UCLA after beating them earlier this season. However, that wasn’t the case tonight, as Madison Booker’s rough shooting night ended the Longhorns’ season in heartbreak, by a final score of 51-44. Being so close to a chance at winning the national title is tough in any sport.
I’m sure Rori Harmon is sad that her days of playing for Texas are over. She’s one of those players who coaches can’t replace overnight. If there were a Mount Rushmore of women’s basketball players at Texas, her face would be on the mountain. Texas is going to look completely different next season without her. There’s nothing Vic Schaefer can do about tonight’s loss other than start preparing for next season’s run.
Here are four takeaways for the final time of the 2025-26 season:
your first 5️⃣ Horns in the Final Four.#HookEm pic.twitter.com/KVWVjIEqG9
— Texas Women’s Basketball (@TexasWBB) April 4, 2026
1. Rough start to the game
Texas couldn’t dig in against the Bruins in the opening quarter; you have to give credit to the Bruins’ strong defense. I know the Longhorns were at a bit of a height disadvantage against the Bruins, but there’s no excuse for missing those shots in the first quarter. This loss really stings, and I know what the ladies are going through right now. Losing in back-to-back Final Fours is tough.
Texas will have a tough time getting back next season with Rori Harmon out of eligibility. I know it was only an eight-point difference at the end of the first quarter, but 3-14 to begin a game is not going to help you win.
2. Booker trying to carry team on her shoulders
One thing that was evident tonight was that Booker was trying to put the team on her shoulders, and it didn’t go as planned. Texas plays its best basketball when they spread the ball out to everyone. While Booker did score 40 points against the Ducks during the tournament, it only worked because their defense was discombobulated. She had a great season, but trying to carry the team on your back in the NCAA Tournament is something you can’t do.
3. Not converting on turnovers
Another thing that shot Texas in the foot tonight was failing to capitalize on their turnovers. Texas forced 12 turnovers tonight and only scored eight points off of them. With the way Texas makes its opponents pay for turning the ball over, the score should have been a lot higher tonight. Sometimes you aren’t able to convert turnovers into points, and it happened to Texas. It’s a tough way to see Texas end their season tonight by not converting on turnovers.
4. We will miss Rori’s presence next season
There’s nothing more heartbreaking about tonight’s loss than losing Harmon. There are those types of players you can’t replace, and she is one of them. She was one of Vic’s first recruits and has been through two ACL surgeries.
Madison Booker said it best this morning that this team will be completely different without her next season. I hope Harmon has a great pro career if she decides that’s the next step for her. The entire Texas fanbase will be behind her in whatever her next career step is. It was a good season for Texas, and I’m happy I was able to cover it for everyone.