Texas women’s basketball is making its debut in the SEC on Jan. 2, diving into the conference with a schedule full of teams that regularly top the NCAA rankings.
The Longhorn team is full of veteran players with ample experience in the Big 12, such as senior forward Taylor Jones and senior forward Aaliyah Moore, and will be thrust into the new SEC environment under head coach Vic Schaefer.
Senior guard Rori Harmon will return to the court after suffering a season-ending knee injury 12 games in. Because of her injury, Harmon was also able to obtain an extra year of collegiate eligibility. Harmon led the country in assist-turnovers before her injury and will likely be a key part of the Longhorns’ lineup.
Here are the top three matchups to keep an eye on when looking ahead to this tough season.
Oklahoma
The first time Texas takes the court in the SEC will be against its Red River Rival. The Sooners join the Longhorns in their move to the SEC, and the two will face off for both of their debuts. Like the Longhorns, the Sooners went 14–4 in conference games last season for their final year in the Big 12.
Texas will travel to the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, playing in what will likely be a loud and hostile environment. The pressure will be on to take down OU, who has a solid lineup full of experienced players and a promising transfer. Junior center Raegan Beers transferred from Oregon State this past spring, where she helped the team advance to the Elite Eight in 2023. Other returning players, like redshirt senior guard Lexy Keys and redshirt senior forward Skylar Vann, make up a team that will be entering the SEC eager to prove themselves.
South Carolina
The most intimidating matchup for Texas is with the University of South Carolina, the reigning national champions — and the Longhorns will take on the Gamecocks twice.
The team is led by head coach Dawn Staley, who has guided South Carolina to three championships in the past seven years. Last season they maintained a perfect 16–0 record, and this year the Gamecocks’ roster stayed largely the same. Center Kamilla Cardoso, who left for the WNBA draft, was the only player to leave the team, solidifying a strong lineup and a confident team that hasn’t lost a regular season game since Dec. 30, 2021.
Players like senior guard Te-hina Paopao, sophomore guard Tessa Johnson and junior guard Raven Johnson will pose a major threat to the Longhorns and help determine if Texas is ready for the challenges that playing in a conference like the SEC will bring.
Tennessee
Another game to pay attention to this season will come on Jan. 23 at home against the University of Tennessee. The Lady Vols went 10–6 last season, but have a new head coach in Kim Caldwell.
Caldwell utilized the transfer portal and recruited new players, such as sophomore forward Alyssa Latham from Syracuse and former Arkansas leading scorer and senior guard Samara Spencer. Returning players like fifth-year guard Jewel Spear and senior guard Sara Puckett will be interesting matchups for the experienced Texas team.
The two schools, who each claim to be “the real UT,” both logged high scoring averages last season. The Longhorns averaged 80.1 points per game while the Lady Vols averaged 76.3. If Texas wants to make a splash in the SEC, taking down Tennessee will be a step in the right direction.
