Texas women’s basketball guard Rori Harmon has proven herself as one of the best players in the history of the program.
Harmon was lauded as one of the best point guards in college early thanks to her scoring, elite passing, handles and stingy defense. After Harmon tore her ACL early in the 2023-24 season, the prospect of combining Harmon’s skillset with Madison Booker’s was why the Longhorns were ranked No. 2 in the 2024-25 Southeastern Conference preseason poll.
Harmon was a big part of Texas’ 70-61 win over Missouri, collecting 10 assists, six rebounds and two steals. However, the senior’s 2 of 10 shooting performance was part of the reason the game against a bottom-tier SEC team was so close to begin with.
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“She needs to shoot it better,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “Probably only took one, maybe two that were hotly contested.”
The Longhorns were missing Aaliyah Moore and Justice Carlton, leaving them perilously thin at the forward spot. Schaefer holds his team to a high standard but still recognizes how the depth issues impacted his team. He didn’t let Harmon off the hook, though.
“She does a lot. But tonight, she got some good looks. She needs to make those and she knows that,” Schaefer said.
Harmon and Booker are Texas’ two top ball handlers, and they tend to take the most shots. Last year, Harmon began the season shooting 52.3% from the field. She’s shooting 40.3% this season but has gone 9 of 38 over her last four games.
Meanwhile, Booker made six of her 12 shots against Missouri for an efficient 16 points. For Texas and Schaefer, the problem with Booker is what makes her great. She’s unselfish, maybe to a fault.
In the first half, Missouri made a concerted effort to take Booker out of the game, denying her the ball. Initially, Booker was more than content to let her teammates run the offense, to the frustration of Schaefer.
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“Sometimes I don’t like the balance. I want her to have it more than she’s getting it,” Schaefer said. “When I came in at halftime, I’m like, this has got to change.”
Booker scored 14 points in the second half after scoring two in the second. A guard/forward hybrid, Booker enjoys the pass as much as the bucket. However, there are times when Texas’ star player doesn’t exert her scoring abilities when they need it.
In those times, she relies on freshmen Bryanna Preston and Jordan Lee for some extra confidence.
“They’re putting in so much confidence in this team,” Booker said. “They tell me, Maddie, it’s time. Go in, stop being lax.”
What’s next for Texas women’s basketball?
Texas’ February schedule is stacked.
Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Kentucky and LSU are the order of the next five games. Five of those teams are currently ranked in the top 25, while the Longhorns’ game against the unranked Aggies is in College Station.
Schaefer gives his stars a long leash because they know how to win. It’s why Harmon was still in the game in the fourth quarter against Missouri despite a miserable shooting night.
That won’t fly against South Carolina though, as Texas learned the first time around. If Harmon and Booker don’t bring their A-game, the Longhorns don’t have anyone else who can pick up the slack. Even so, Schaefer has faith.
“Those kids have all been to the wars, and they know what it takes to win,” Schaefer said.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Rori Harmon, Madison Booker and Texas basketball’s offensive potential
