Texas women’s basketball is entering a different kind of fall, and Vic Schaefer knows it.
For five years, the Longhorns had Rori Harmon setting the tone at point guard. Now that she’s gone, Texas is trying to answer a question that can’t be solved by simply plugging in one player and moving on: who handles the ball, who organizes the offense and who becomes the steadying voice in the middle of everything?
For now, the answer is spread across several guards.
“It’s a little different when you’ve had Rori there for five years, and it wouldn’t matter what position Rori played,” Schaefer said in a Sept. 24 media availability. “But I have complete confidence in (junior guard Bryanna) Preston and (freshman guard) Lizzy (Spaight).”
Preston looks like the cleanest fit to take on a bigger role. Schaefer said that if Harmon had not used a fifth year, he would have been comfortable moving Preston into that spot. She has already shown enough in key moments to earn that trust, even without starting last season.
In the 2025-26 season, Preston averaged 4.9 points in 14.2 minutes per game. Those numbers only tell part of the story, though. Schaefer believes she brings something Texas can build around, especially in how she reads the floor.
“(Preston) can do some things that maybe Rori couldn’t do, or didn’t do,” Schaefer said. “She sees the floor incredibly well.”
Texas also has more options than just Preston. Schaefer pointed to freshmen Addison Bjorn, Amalia Holguin and Spaight as additional pieces in the backcourt. Bjorn and Spaight arrived with five-star hype, while Holguin gives the staff another young guard to evaluate as practice moves forward.
Then there’s Jayda Clark, a late addition who brings a different kind of resume. The sophomore guard from Australia already has professional experience, which gives Texas another candidate to work with as Schaefer sorts through the rotation.
That process is happening now, with fall practice giving the staff its first real look at how the pieces fit. Schaefer said the next few weeks will be about finding the right mix at point guard and making sure players settle into their natural “home” positions.
The larger challenge, though, goes well beyond one spot. More than half of Texas’ roster is new, and Schaefer knows that kind of turnover comes with some bumps.
“Over half our team is new, and so we’ll probably have some growing pains that go with that, and that’s okay,” Schaefer said. “My job is to get them ready as (quickly) as I can.”
So the point guard battle is really part of a bigger season-long theme for Texas: sorting out roles, building chemistry and finding the right blend. Schaefer doesn’t sound like he’s chasing a one-for-one replacement for Harmon. He sounds like a coach trying to assemble a group that can share the load.
And when the big moments arrive, that’s what he’ll be looking for most - not just one star with the ball, but players willing to take charge.
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