TCU Women's Basketball: Team is "Super Excited" for Elite Eight Game

The TCU women's basketball team (34-3) continues to rewrite its history books. The team advanced to the Elite Eight after beating Notre Dame on Saturday, 71-62. The team will now face a familiar foe, the Texas Longhorns (34-3), on Monday night for a chance to advance to the Final Four.

It marks TCU's first appearance in program history in the Elite Eight. However, it's not the first appearance for many team members. Guard Hailey Van Lith became the first student-athlete in either women's or men's basketball to lead three different teams to the Elite Eight. She also became only one of five players since 2020 to reach the Elite Eight five times.

Five players on the team have reached the Elite Eight at least two times. In addition to Van Lith, this marks multiple Elite Eight appearances for Madison Conner, Agnes Emma-Nnopu, Donovyn Hunter, and Taylor Bigby. Plus, it's the fifth appearance in the Regional Final for head coach Mark Campbell.

Early Sunday morning, Campbell, Conner, Van Lith, and Sedona Prince met with members of the media, ahead of Monday's game.

"Obviously, we have a huge game to win," said Van Lith. "So super excited to get to compete on that stage against two Texas schools, which is actually really cool, and we haven't played at each at all this year yet."

"Just super excited and grateful that we get a chance to compete Monday night for a chance to go to a Final Four," said Campbell. "And just to have another practice with this group of players and be able to just continue this journey that's been magical and special."

TCU will face Texas, a former Big 12 foe. The teams did not meet this season but did play twice last year. Campbell was asked if there's some familiarity with playing Texas again, even though there are many new players on both teams.

"Coach Schaefer, his system and what they do, he doesn't really change it," said Campbell. "He's really good at it. It helps to be familiar with his system, but we have a whole new team, and obviously, they have new players. So you can look at some film a little bit from last year, but really you're just scrubbing this year's team and trying to figure out what we have to do."

Prince, who started her collegiate career at Texas, talked about playing the Longhorns and what it's meant to be a part of the new Big 12 that does not include the Longhorns.

"It's really cool too how this shift in Big 12 basketball and how it's been Baylor, Texas for so many years," said Prince. "I watched Baylor and Texas growing up being from Austin, and those are the two powerhouses. Now being part of the shift and beating Baylor three times this year is a complete overturn of power in the Big 12, and dominated and made it known that we were with the No. 1 team in the Big 12. It will be cool, it's a great challenge, old Big 12 team, champions, to go up against them, they're an amazing team."

After celebrating Saturday's win with the team, Campbell and his staff watched Texas defeat Tennessee in the other Sweet Sixteen game.

"There's not many holes.," said Campbell about the Texas team. "They're incredible. They have size and great post play. They have depth, really athletic, have one of the best point guards in college basketball. And they're a 1 seed for a reason. So we're going to have to play a heck of a game and Coach Vic and his staff obviously do a tremendous job with their system, style of play. So it's going to be a heck of a game but we got our work cut out."

No. 2 seed TCU will play No. 1 seed Texas on Monday, March 30, at 6 pm CT at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. The game can be seen on ESPN.

Follow TCU On SI on X as our team is in Birmingham bringing you live updates of the Elite Eight.

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