Texas Longhorns Women's Basketball Among Top 3 in Way-Too-Early Rankings

After finishing runner-up in the SEC conference tournament and having a final four run in the NCAA tournament, the Texas Longhorns are projected another season as top contenders.

Jan 12, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Shaefer disputes a call against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team had a strong inaugural year in the SEC, finishing second in the conference tournament and going on to have a final-four run in the NCAA tournament.

With head coach and SEC coach of the year Vic Schaefer at the helm and a talented roster at his side, the team accumulated a record of 35-4 on the season and 17-0 at home. Sophomore forward Madison Booker earned SEC Player of the Year, and players like junior Rori Harmon and graduate student Taylor Jones also gained a lot of attention for their contributions to the team’s impressive performances.

However, there always seemed to be one obstacle that the Longhorns couldn’t overcome when it mattered most, and that obstacle isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Texas Longhorns forward Taylor Jones (44) during the NCAA semi-final game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Friday April 4, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks took down the Longhorns in both the SEC Championship and in the NCAA Final Four, and early projections give them an advantage over the Longhorns for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

In On3’s recently released Way-Too-Early women’s college basketball Top 25 list, both South Carolina and UConn stand between Texas and the No. 1 position.

Although the defending national champion and the runner-up have claimed No. 1 and 2 on this list, each team will look different in the absence of players not planning to return.

For South Carolina, sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is transferring from South Carolina to LSU for her junior year, and senior guard Te-Hina Paopao has been drafted into the WNBA by the Atlanta Dream.

Texas’ most prominent loss is Taylor Jones, who averaged 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

However, with Booker, Harmon and other key players returning, the team will be both experienced and out for revenge. This new SEC matchup should prove to be a competitive one again this upcoming season.

That being said, the “way-too-early” label on On3’s list is one worth considering. The 2025-26 season doesn’t start for six months, and the NCAA tournament doesn’t commence for nearly another 11 months. 

A lot could happen between now and then, but these two teams, along with UConn and other schools ranked highly on the list, are worth keeping an eye on in the meantime.