Texas A&M Head Coach Joni Taylor Emphasizes Focus as Aggies Regroup

The head coach of the Aggies remains optimistic on the season despite the program's recent struggles.

Oct 16, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Joni Taylor talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

After Texas A&M's 44-point loss to the No. 6 LSU Tigers on Thursday, head coach Joni Taylor met with the media to discuss the program's recent struggles. Taylor was also joined by senior guard Ny Pryor and senior guard Jordan Webster on the podium as well.

It's been a rough stretch for the Aggies during SEC conference play. The program opened the season with a 7-2 start, with its only setbacks coming against UT Arlington and West Virginia, but momentum quickly shifted once SEC play began.

While the loss to the Tigers may have been a historic one, Taylor shed some light on how the Aggies' hurting themselves played a significant role in the contest's result. She also remained optimistic, stressing that being able to break up their remaining schedule into chunks would be key to getting better with each week.

Taylor's Thought on the Aggies' Loss to No. 6 LSU

Jan 18, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Janae Kent (20) takes a jump shot during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Taylor opened her press conference on Thursday by saying that the team needs to take advantage of the opportunities the Aggies are given on offense. She also mentioned that the group needs to be better in the turnover game. Texas A&M committed 25 turnovers to just 17 from LSU.

"We turned it over way too much," Taylor said. "When you look at turnovers, points in the paint, and their rebounds, those are three buckets that they're really good at and our goal was to eliminate two of those three or really slow them down in two of those three, and we just didn't do that consistently."

The rebound game was definitely one of the more lopsided statistics at the final buzzer for Texas A&M. The Tigers came down with 49 boards to the Aggies' 24 boards. While the rebound game was lopsided, the disparity in each team's ability to score in the paint was even more glaring. LSU dominated when they were close to the rim with 50 points in the paint, while Texas A&M struggled to reach double figures.

When asked about evaluating her program based on the past three games, Taylor mentioned that the key for them is having fresh eyes on a daily basis. The coach previously talked about how the program needs to break the season up into chunks, that way they can focus on getting better with each passing day.

"I think for us it's continuing to come in and have the right mindset when we get into practice...," Taylor said. "...There are more games in front of us than behind us."

What's Next for Texas A&M?

Jan 18, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Joni Taylor talks to guard Ny'Ceara Pryor (1) during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

While the Aggies will visit unranked Missouri this weekend, Taylor and her team won't be getting much of a break. After facing off against the Tigers, Texas A&M will then take on No. 16 Oklahoma, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 23 Alabama, and No. 11 Kentucky.

While the Aggies may have a better chance at knocking off an opponent during that span, there's an argument that the four-game is their most difficult of conference play.