All five of the Texas women’s basketball newcomers are already on campus, but freshman guard Jordan Lee won’t be there for too long. 

Lee will be traveling to Bucaramanga, Colombia, to compete at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup from June 17-23 after being named to the USA Women’s Under-18 National Team. The eighth-ranked recruit was one of the twelve selected from a pool of 26 players.

This is not Lee’s first big honor of the year. Along with future teammate freshman forward Justice Carlton, she was named a McDonald’s All-American and played for Team West on April 2.

“It’s just a very exciting time,” Carlton said. “I bet it’s just super exciting for (Texas) to have this really good group of girls come in and be able to play for them next year.”

Fellow freshman guard Bryanna Preston was also a nominee for the All-American game, and together with transfers senior guard Laila Phelia and junior forward Kyla Oldacre, she is ready to leave her mark in the Forty Acres.

Phelia, a transfer from Michigan, picked up All-Big 10 first-team honors, while Miami transfer Kyla Oldacre signed an Athletic Scholarship Agreement to join the Longhorns. 

Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer is familiar with Oldacre. When the forward earned a spot in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American team, Schaefer already had her eye on her. 

“She brings much-needed depth to our five positions,” Schaefer said. “Her size and physicality will go a long way in protecting the paint and helping us on both ends of the floor. We recruited her out of high school and we are happy to get her this time around.”

Schaefer is confident not only in the addition of the two who already enter with multiple years of college experience but of the three girls who are set to make their collegiate debuts in the fall.

“I’m giddy, and I’m so excited about those three,” Schaefer said. “All three of those kids are college-ready. … They’re all in to be Longhorns. … You couldn’t find three kids more of a fit for our program. We addressed our perimeter needs with (Preston) and Jordan. Justice, … she might be the most physical high school kid I’ve ever seen play.”

Texas lost one player, guard Shaylee Gonzales, to professional basketball, and five, guard Gisella Maul, forwards Amina Muhammad, DeYona Gaston and Khadija Faye and center Tionna Herron to the transfer portal.

“You build your team, and you build it with classes,” Schaefer said. “When you happen to lose two or three, you got two or three that are in the fold that are ready to jump in and continue doing what you’ve been doing.”