Watching three star players leave for other schools right after a Final Four run would break most teams. Not Texas. The Longhorns are still ranked No. 6 and looking to chase down South Carolina for the SEC crown. That takes a special kind of grit you just do not see everywhere else.
Madison Booker is the heart of this team, and she is not looking back at who walked out the door. She knows the game moves fast, and she is ready to drive the offense all by herself. This is not just about having a good player; it is about having a leader who refuses to fold when life gets hard.
The Hard Truth About The Transfer Portal
It hurts to watch your teammates go, but you have to let them follow their own path. Following their Final Four defeat to UCLA, the Longhorns returned home to find Jordan Lee headed to South Carolina, guard Aaliyah Crump transferring to Duke, and forward Justice Carlton moving to Houston. It was a lot to take in for one offseason.
Texas point guard Bryanna Preston admitted the pain of those departures. “That broke my heart, but at the end of the day, they are individual players and have to do what’s best for them,” Preston said, according to Fox Sports. That is the reality of college sports today. You cannot hold people back, even if it leaves a hole in your lineup.
Booker handles the change with a calm that surprises some people. She does not waste time wondering why former teammates left. “I mean, that’s their journey,” Booker said. “What they thought was going to be better for their journey is what they thought. I’m supporting them always.” That kind of maturity is rare for a fourth-year player.
A New Point Guard Takes The Reins
Rori Harmon left the team; the legendary guard currently plays for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. No other Division I player in history has recorded over 1,500 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds, and 350 steals. Losing that kind of production feels impossible, but coach Vic Schaefer is betting on the new blood.
Schaefer thinks Bryanna Preston is ready to step up and run the show. “Rori was fast. Bri’s electric. I’m excited to see her this year. She’s really special. I don’t worry about her running our team or doing things for us on offense,” Schaefer said. The coach admits the defense will be the hardest part to replace, but he trusts his players to figure it out.
Booker brings her own unique skills to the court, including her size and ball-handling. Smaller guards and slower forwards attempting to stop her face a matchup nightmare. Secured within program history already, she now seeks to deliver a championship home. On Wednesday night, Texas begins the season versus Fairleigh Dickinson, prepared to fight.
