Texas women’s basketball goes back on the hardwood, officially, this week when the Longhorns open their season Wednesday against Fairleigh Dickinson. Texas fell to UConn to open its preseason slate but bounced back for exhibition wins over UCLA and Baylor.
Three-time All-American small forward Madison Booker is back leading the charge for the Longhorns. She averaged 18.9 points on 50.9% shooting from the field, and head coach Vic Schaefer returns for his seventh season after leading the team to a 35-4 record and the national semifinal. Texas is ranked sixth in the preseason AP top 25 poll.
Here are 20 questions before the Texas Longhorns open their 2026-27 season:
Who is Fairleigh Dickinson?
FDU is New Jersey’s largest private school and the Knights play in the Northeast Conference. Last season, they finished the year 30-5 overall with an 18-0 record during conference play. Fairleigh Dickinson made it to the NCAA Tournament last year but lost to Iowa, 58-48.
Is there any dwelling on the Final Four result from last year?
While Schaefer said the loss will “haunt him,” he’s indicated that he’s focused on the season. The mantra of “it’s in the past” is echoed throughout the locker room.
Where is Rori Harmon?
The beloved Houston point guard started 155 games over five years for the Longhorns but she’s graduated. Rori Harmon is currently playing pro basketball overseas in Turkey after a short stint in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics.
Who will be the new lead guard?
Replacing Harmon will not be easy but Bryanna Preston sounds up for the task. The junior waited on the bench for her first two years at Texas and is gaining confidence as the PG1. Preston can use her speed to set the pace of the game and she will continue to be a defensive menace for the Longhorns (she’s averaged almost a steal a game over her 55 career appearances despite averaging about 13 minutes a game). She also said that she worked on her shooting in the offseason and it shows after going 4-for-5 from behind the arc in the exhibition game against UCLA.
Are there any new faces on the coaching staff?
During the summer, assistant coach Sydney Carter left to join Auburn’s staff. Part of Carter’s duties was working with Texas’ point guards, and she was credited with helping Harmon develop into the program’s all-time leader in assists and steals. To replace her, Schaefer hired one of his former players at Mississippi State: Victoria Vivians. As Schaefer’s point guard, Vivians helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championship games and finished her career in Starkville, Miss. with 2,527 points and All-American honors in 2017.
Who transferred out of the program?
Preston is without two of her classmates this season because guard Jordan Lee transferred as did forward Justice Carlton. Lee is the newest member of the Gamecock flock at South Carolina. Carlton opted to play closer to home, and play with her sister, at Houston. Aaliyah Crump, also hit the portal and found a new home with Duke. Senior Aaliyah Moore, who battled injuries the past few years, traded different shades of SEC orange when she decided to transfer to Tennessee.
Who are the freshmen for Texas?
There are five impressive and “fearless” freshmen for the Longhorns. Amalia Holguin, Brihanna Crittendon, Addison Bjorn, Lizzy Spaight and Isi Etute all signed to a Longhorns’ 2026 class ranked the third-best in the country.
What can Madison Booker’s season look like?
They sky is the limit. Of course, she very well could be named an All-American for the fourth time, have impressive shooting nights and help settle the offense as Preston becomes more confident leading the Longhorns. If there is one player that can put a team on her back, and help make her teammates play better to push for a national title, it’s Booker.
Who joined the Longhorns from the portal?
Jada Bediako joined the Longhorns from Marquette and Zya Vann joined Texas from its Red River Rival, Oklahoma. Bediako is a 6-foot-3 forward and finished the 2025-2026 season averaging 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds through 26 games. Vann started all 34 and lead the team with 71 steals while averaging 10.4 points.
Which new player can make a big impact?
Vann is a defensively focused guard and she can shoot the 3-pointer. But Jayda Clark, a player from Australia, could supercharge the Texas offense with her shooting as well. The sophomore had eight points in the exhibition game against UCLA and even though she was cold to begin, she heated up and shot 50% from behind the arc and was 5-for-8 from the field.
Are there any preseason injuries for Texas?
Bediako is out for the season. The senior tore her ACL early in October and is expected to make a full recovery, but will not see the floor this season.
Where can Texas show the biggest growth?
The Longhorns can build on its 3-point shooting success from last year. Texas finished sixth in the conference for 3-point shooting percentage with 33.5%. Booker and Preston flashed their improved shooting and with the addition of Clark and Bjorn, the Longhorns have threats from everywhere on the court that can pull the trigger.
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What could be a trap for Texas?
Texas lost the battle of the boards in the exhibition game 36-31 and again against Baylor 27-26. The Longhorns held opponents to a combined 31.1 rebounds, the best mark last in the SEC last season. Schaefer said earlier that “rebounds are a part of defense” and if the Longhorns want to dominate on defense, they need to crash the glass.
What’s the deal with Schaefer and the jacket?
It’s not abnormal for Schaefer to start the game with a sport coat on and then at some point ditch it. The signature move of the head coach is to show frustration in what is team is doing on the court.
What teams do Texas play before conference play starts?
A lot. The Longhorns have a good mix of teams that will allow them to work on different aspects of their game but Texas has one of the hardest nonconference schedules. Texas plays five teams that are also ranked in the AP’s preseason top 25 poll: Ohio State (No. 18), Louisville (No. 7), TCU (No. 15), Duke (No. 4) and UCLA (No. 11).
When does SEC play start for Texas?
The Longhorns open SEC play on the road on New Year’s Eve in Athens, Ga. against the Bulldogs.
What teams will give Texas trouble during conference play?
Outside of the typical teams – like South Carolina, Oklahoma and LSU – Vanderbilt may give the Longhorns some trouble. The Commodores are led by junior All-American Mikayla Blakes who finished No. 1 in the nation in points per game (27.0).
Where can Texas expect to finish in the conference?
There is little doubt that Texas will finish in the top quarter of teams in the conference. South Carolina will continue to dominate the SEC but it’s going to be a dog fight for the second spot because LSU and Oklahoma won’t go away that easy.
Can Texas make it back to the Final Four?
Maybe. Part of becoming a champion is a bit of luck and that luck was Texas’ first rounds of the tournament where they cruised to victory by at least 20 point each game. It could be a battle to get to Columbus, Ohio for the Final Four but it’s not impossible, especially if the Longhorns can keep their foot on the gas.
Will Madison Booker return for a fifth year?
She can, but who knows? She would have a storied career if she declares for the WNBA draft. But thanks to the NCAA’s new eligibility rules, Booker can go for a fifth and final year.
This article originally published at Can Texas women’s basketball return to the Final Four? 20 questions for the Longhorns.
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