After ending a 20-year drought last season, the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team is back in the Final Four for a second straight year, with Rori Harmon leading the charge while crediting her teammates for the run.

In the 77–41 victory over Michigan in the Elite Eight on March 31, 2026, Harmon finished with 7 points and a record-tying 13 assists.

In the postgame interview, when asked how she led the group, Rori Harmon kept it simple. “It's because of my teammates, the people behind me doing all that crazy stuff... I can't do anything without them. I'm not me without them, so I'm really proud of my team.”

And she had a point. Madison Booker led all scorers with 19 points and earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the region. Justice Carlton added 15 points, while Kyla Oldacre finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

With that kind of support, Harmon added, “I'm just super happy to be back in the Final Four.”

The win puts the Texas Longhorns women's basketball in elite company, marking their 5th Final Four appearance and only the 2nd time they’ve done it in back-to-back seasons, last achieved in 1986 and 1987 under Jody Conradt.

They’ve also dominated this tournament, becoming just the 9th team to reach the Final Four after winning their first 4 games by 20 or more points, a trend that has led to championships for the last 5 teams to do it.

Rori Harmon’s journey has been key to this run. After tearing her ACL in her third season, she shifted from being a high-volume scorer to a playmaker, taking a career-low 7.5 shots while still controlling games and leading the team.

While Harmon’s impact shows up in the numbers and leadership, it’s moments like these that reveal just how much she means to the program.

Vic Schaefer Leans on Rori Harmon in Big Moment

After the Texas Longhorns' win over Michigan, head coach Vic Schaefer went straight to Rori Harmon for a long embrace, a moment that reflected her five-year impact on the program.

“I said, let me be the one at the bottom that can help the foundation,” Harmon shared, reflecting on her role within the team.

Schaefer also spoke about what Harmon means to the group.

“I prayed for a long time last night to have that moment today with her. The kid’s been so special. She’s been the heart of our team and program for a while, and then when we got Madison, it really elevated everything, but she had somebody to be with,” he said in the postgame press conference.

With the win, the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team advances to face the UCLA Bruins women's basketball team in the national semifinals on April 3, 2026, aiming for their first title since 1986.

So, do you think Texas’s dominant tournament run makes them the favorites to win it all this year?

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Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Shraabona Sengupta