Rori Harmon Not Ready to Part Ways with Texas Basketball Just Yet

In the first quarter of the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team’s Sweet 16 matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats, the crowd cheered for a young fan holding a sign reading “I’m gonna be the next Rori.”

This isn’t a bad goal for an aspiring young basketball player– Longhorns graduate point guard Rori Harmon leads Texas in both career steals and assists, and she has accumulated over 1,600 points during her career in burnt orange.

With the end of that career on the line every time Texas takes the court in the NCAA Tournament, Harmon, her teammates and head coach Vic Schaefer are doing everything they can to keep their season alive.

Schaefer addresses Harmon’s fleeting time

Texas Longhorns point guard Rori Harmon and head coach Vic Schaefe — Dec 14, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer embraces Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon (3) during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Schaefer hardly knows a career at Texas that doesn’t involve Harmon, as she has been by his side for five of his six seasons on the Forty Acres. As her time gets closer to expiring, Schaefer has emphasized what losing her means for him as a coach.

“I've seen her every day for five straight years,” Schaefer said on Sunday in a media availability. “It's going to be a little different. It's going to be way different, you know, not seeing her.”

The two have helped define Texas basketball in the modern era, and this will be the fourth Elite Eight they have embarked upon together.

However, what they have never taken on as a duo is a national championship matchup.

Harmon said on Sunday that she is “more locked in” than she has ever felt during her playing career, and she believes that her team’s urgency is a reflection of their collective will to keep this season going for as long as possible.

Harmon posted 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals on Saturday against the Wildcats, commanding her team to a decisive victory. If she can accumulate similar statistics against the Michigan Wolverines in the Elite Eight tomorrow, she just might be able to help the Longhorns advance to the Final Four.

The Wolverines have an impressive resume, and similarly to Texas, they have won each of their NCAA Tournament games by decisive margins so far.

“They're a great team, obviously, and I see a little bit of the SEC in them,” Harmon said of Michigan. “They play super hard defensively. They get a lot of rebounds. They crash. They're diving for loose balls, 50/50 balls. It's obviously a little bit different than what we've seen, but you know, it's a little bit of familiarity with a lot of teams that we play in the conference.”

Powered by their depth and desire to keep playing for their seniors, the Longhorns will take the court on Monday and try to keep their hot streak going. With Harmon at the helm, it will be interesting to see how high this team’s ceiling is.

“I'm not ready for it to be over either,” Schaefer said. “I hugged (Harmon) this morning at breakfast and said those same words.”

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