Texas women’s basketball has already spent its preseason against elite competition, and the No. 6 Longhorns now turn that early work into something that counts when they open the regular season Wednesday against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Moody Center.
The exhibition slate brought a 2-1 record, with Texas rolling past UCLA and Baylor before running into UConn in an 83-61 loss. Even with that setback, head coach Vic Schaefer saw enough from the wins to believe the Longhorns are starting to reveal what this roster can become.
“(I’m) excited about our opportunities this season, and we’re a work in progress,” Schaefer said. “But I’m really pleased in that I think we’ve grown and gotten better since our Connecticut game.”
This is a Texas team adjusting to major turnover, including the departure of point guard Rori Harmon. With five freshmen in the mix, Schaefer has spent the preseason trying to shape a new identity and sort out who can handle different jobs on the floor.
Harmon’s absence is about more than points and assists. Schaefer said her defense will be especially tough to replace, pointing to her ability to cover for teammates and her status as the team’s best on-ball defender.
The exhibition games also gave Texas a chance to throw its newcomers into the fire before the real thing started. Against UConn, Schaefer was comfortable putting the freshmen in key spots and having them defend junior All-American forward Sarah Strong.
The message from that stretch was simple: the freshmen can compete, but they still need reps.
One of the clearest positives so far has been Texas’ shooting from deep. Against UCLA, junior guard Bryanna Preston put up 20 points and hit four of her five attempts from three. Senior forward Madison Booker led the way with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and senior forward Breya Cunningham added 16 points.
“I think Preston has gotten better in the last week and a half from the Connecticut game to UCLA,” Schaefer said. “She showed great improvement and just (understands) what’s required if you’re the point guard at the University of Texas.”
Texas finished that game shooting 47.3% from three, going 9-for-19 from beyond the arc.
The Longhorns kept that rhythm going against Baylor, where junior guard Zya Vann scored 18 points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from three. Texas finished 7-for-9 from long range in that game.
“If you were in practice yesterday, I don’t think (Vann) missed a three, and she took a bunch,” Schaefer said. “When we’re shooting it well, it’s going to be really hard for people to figure out how to defend us.”
Even with the outside shooting and the exhibition wins, Schaefer hasn’t let the results distract from the details he wants tightened up. Ball security, defensive rotations and taking charges are still front and center as Texas tries to build habits that will hold up once the season gets rolling.
He said the Longhorns had turnover issues in a recent practice and made clear that protecting the ball takes more than just showing up and playing. It demands concentration and pride.
“Winning masks a lot of problems,” Schaefer said. “For me, I don’t run from that.”
Still, Schaefer said he’s encouraged by how much the team has improved in practice, even if the learning curve will continue once the regular season begins.
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