Madison Booker's inability to get her side past the UCLA Bruins drew a fair amount of criticism; however, the 20-year-old didn't give in to the negativity and kept up her hopes for a better future.

Booker and the Texas Longhorns' 51–44 loss against the Bruins ended their NCAA tournament run in the Final Four. But the Longhorns' No. 35 believed in the almighty and took it as a lesson, instead of getting disheartened. During the post-match press conference, she disclosed viewing the defeat as "God's test," and took it as a "lesson."

Still, she held onto her positive demeanor, and said, “Just thank God for the opportunities that he gave me this season,” and added, “God, whatever you're doing right now, I just know it's going to be better than I imagined… just trusting in his plan and His process and honestly just moving on with it.”

In the second half of the game, with the Texas Longhorns down by three, Madison Booker had her shot blocked by Lauren Betts, who later came to her defense after she faced criticism online.

“She's such an amazing player,” Betts said after finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

“I don't want yesterday to take over the fact that she's had an amazing season… She really doesn't deserve it all. I wish everybody would give her a little bit of grace because she's a human at the end of the day.”

While the loss drew criticism, a look at Booker’s overall stats and achievements tells a completely different story.

Madison Booker Joins Elite Company With Third Cheryl Miller Win

Madison Booker won the 2026 Cheryl Miller Award on April 4, becoming a three-time winner and joining Ashley Joens as the only players to do so.

"It's an honor to win the Cheryl Miller Award," Booker said. "I wouldn't be the player I am without the support of my coaches, teammates, and family. This is for them and all they have done for me."

Texas head coach Vic Schaefer praised her, saying, "Madison Booker is such a special young lady… Her work ethic and investment in her game is elite."

He also highlighted her skills, noting her ability to score at all three levels and create space, along with her strong understanding of the game.

Regardless of the loss, Madison Booker also reached several milestones, becoming the first player in Texas history with 1,900 points, 600 rebounds, and 400 assists, while ranking second in program history with 234 NCAA Tournament points.

That said, do you think that the critics were being too harsh on her, just after a single loss?

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Souvik Roy