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Kristie Mewis is Ready for Her Encore

Kristie Mewis celebrat
Kristie Mewis celebrates winning the 2020 Challenge Cup with the Houston Dash (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Kristie Mewis calls me promptly at 12:00 p.m.

Right from “Hey, Rachel!,” it immediately feels like I’m catching up with an old friend. Perhaps it’s the familiarity of her slight Boston accent that reminds me we’re both east coasters. Or maybe it’s simply just who Mewis is: kind, reliable, real.

Both Mewis and her younger sister Sam, U.S. Soccer’s 2020 Player of the Year, were seemingly born to play sports. Their parents were both athletes, but though her mom played basketball, Mewis fell in love with soccer after picking up the sport when she was four or five years old.

“And then obviously having Sam growing up, and being able to play it with her, and share that with her, was a game changer.”

 

A SUDDEN ASCENT, THEN A GRADUAL FALL

Graduating from Boston College in 2013 as the school’s record holder for career points (116) and a three-time Hermann Trophy semifinalist, Mewis was drafted third overall in the 2013 NWSL College Draft by none other then current-USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who was then at the helm of FC Kansas City.

Shortly thereafter, Mewis secured her first cap with the USWNT. Four months later, she scored her first international goal in a match against South Korea while playing at her hometown stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

But after 15 caps with the best team in the world, Mewis’ career began to stall. A combination of factors, including the inability to find the right position, sidelined Mewis from the national team. At the club level, a game of NWSL hot potato tossed her between five clubs in five seasons, with Mewis finally landing in Houston with the Dash.

To top it all off, in May of 2018, just as she was beginning to find her footing in Texas, she tore her ACL in a match against the Washington Spirit. The injury brought Mewis’ career to a crossroads. Suddenly, a player who first scored for the national team when she was 22 hadn’t been called in for almost half a decade. And now having blown out her knee, no one would have been surprised had Mewis decided that enough was enough. It was game over and time to move on.

But instead of letting that injury knock her out of soccer, Mewis says it served as a “kick in the ass.”

“After I had the period of feeling bad for myself, I kind of took it as like, what are you doing? Like, let’s get back on track. Let’s do what you want with your career.”

 

THE LONG ROAD BACK

Some athletes will sugar coat their descent from the top. Mewis is matter-of-fact, but not harsh, in describing her journey from a standout youth (she was U.S. Soccer’s 2008 Young Female Athlete of the Year) to a pro having to fight through years of uncertainty.

“After I had gotten cut from the national team, I always wanted to be able to get back there,” she says, stating that after her injury, “I just told myself that I was going to come back better than ever. And I wasn’t going to settle for anything less. And that’s what I did.”

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Mind over matter may have been the mantra, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. Serious injuries take a toll on both your body and the mind, and even the toughest athletes have to learn to manage their emotions throughout the process.

For Mewis, recovering from her ACL injury gave her the space to let those emotions out.

“I sometimes try to play the tough guy role like nothing affects me,” she says. “I feel like through that process, I wasn’t able to do that because it was such a physical and mental roller coaster.”

It was in working through these ups and downs, Mewis says, that she found her strength again.

“I found a little bit of power in being vulnerable and being a little bit weak sometimes. I think it kind of helped me get on the right track again.”

 

CHALLENGE EXTENDED, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Mewis’ track ran parallel to that of her team’s, and in pursuing her dream of getting called up to play for her country again, she also helped the Dash turn a page in the history book.

Though COVID-19 threatened to shutter the NWSL in 2020, the league successfully pulled off the first professional sports bubble, hosting an eight-team Challenge Cup tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Going into the tournament, the Dash were considered long shots at best, having never won a major trophy as a club. The team played with a Texas-sized chip on their shoulder, and Mewis entered the bubble environment on a personal mission.

After seven starts in seven games and 558 minutes on the field, for the first time in her professional, she emerged a champion, having drawn a penalty in the title game which led to the opening goal.

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MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES

“I think being able to celebrate something like that in such a difficult time, especially for a team who hasn’t had too much success in the past and me personally, haven’t had too much success in the NWSL, it was just really special,” she says.

The Cup also gave Mewis a chance to prove herself to one of the few outside individuals allowed in the bubble: USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski, who throughout the tournament could be seen jotting down notes while sitting in the stands.

Mewis had been invited to a USWNT I.D. camp in December of 2019. There, her former coach was blunt in his assessment that she still had work to do to be considered for the team.

“One thing that I love about Vlatko is that he’s extremely honest,” Mewis says. “I went into that camp and I was playing left back, and I obviously hadn’t played there in a while. So I kind of got smacked in the face a bit playing defense. But I think his feedback was another wake up call for me.”

Andonovski’s assessment of her play didn’t deter Mewis, but instead kept her foot on the gas and sharpened her focus.

“I knew I could do better than that.”

 

ONE GOAL REACHED LEADS TO ANOTHER

This past November, the USWNT finally got back on the pitch after 261 days away, facing off against the Netherlands in a post-Thanksgiving rematch of the 2019 World Cup final. An added bonus for fans and one proud set of parents? A pair of Mewises in the midfield.

Not only was Kristie Mewis called back into camp, but she earned a spot on the 18-player roster for the game against the Dutch. In bringing her back into the team, Andonovski cited her 2020 club season, when Mewis followed up her Challenge Cup performance with two goals and five assists in the NWSL’s four-game Fall Series

Against the Netherlands, Mewis had to wait 61 minutes before getting her chance, a fraction of time for someone who’d already waited six years for her international return.

“When I was running on the field, I obviously hadn’t had a cap in so many years, I couldn’t help but laugh because just after so many years, me running onto that field again, and having Sam on the field, it was just awesome.”

Ten minutes later, with an assist from Lynn Williams, Mewis sprinted past her defender and powered the ball to the far-post and straight into the back of the net. Just like that, 2,722 days since her last USWNT goal (the longest span between goals in team history), Kristie Mewis had announced her return.

Mewis’ pure elation and palpable bliss were obvious to anyone watching.

“It was truly such a rewarding thing. I had wanted to be back on that field with that team for so long. It was definitely really special.”

The icing on the cake? Turning around and celebrating with Sam.

“It was the best feeling ever,” Mewis says. “I couldn’t have asked for it to go any better.”

Two months later, in the team’s first match against Colombia in January, Mewis added her name to the score sheet again in a game that included four goals, but only one surname. Sam Mewis notched her first international career hat trick that night to open the score 3-0. She then subbed out for Kristie, who in the 85’ minute made it 4-0 USA.

Despite competing with each other as children, no one besides their parents (and even then it’s up for debate) is more proud of either sister than they are of each other.

“Sam just absolutely rocked that game,” Kristie says. “Not that she’s been overlooked in the past, but I think she’s been at the top of her game for a long time, and I’m so glad that it’s actually finally showing and she’s getting credit for it.”

Mewis knows how special it is to not only share the field with Sam, but fill up the stat sheet as well, saying, “It’s those memories that we’ll talk about and we’ll have for so long.”

Sam certainly shares in the sisterly pride. Talking to teammate Kelley O’Hara and JWS CEO Haley Rosen on the Just Women’s Sports podcast, she raved about having Kristie back with the team.

“Watching her success this summer and seeing how well she’s been doing ever since she came back from her knee, I’ve just been watching in amazement… Obviously we had a couple of chances to [play together] when we were younger, but I think understanding better now really what it takes to be there and to stay at that level has made it a lot more rewarding.”

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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021

s 2021 gets underway, Mewis has her eyes on the upcoming NWSL season and proving the Dash are here to stay. Having been in the league since its inaugural year, she is profoundly optimistic about the future of her sport.

“I feel like nine years ago when the NWSL was starting, it was still so fresh and so new. I’m kind of jealous that I can’t start over again, because I would love to come into the league right now.”

“It’s just so special to be a part of it and to see all these new teams coming in, the salaries rising, everything happening with it is just so exciting.”

It’s also no secret that the Olympics are on the horizon. Coach Andonovski is faced with the daunting task of selecting 18 players from a pool of more than two dozen world-class picks. The fact that Mewis is in serious contention for a coveted spot on the Tokyo roster is a testament to her dedication in turning her career around.

“I would obviously be so honored to be a part of that roster, but it is such a tight number with 18, so it will be very difficult,” she says. “But I’m going to do whatever I can to try to make that roster and just stay with the national team as long as I can and really make an impact there.”

 

“I’M NOT TAKING ANY OF IT FOR GRANTED”

Mewis and I talk about what it means for her to have made it all the way back, and to now be wearing the crest again after suffering a series of setbacks that few in the sport have ever come back from.

“I’m not taking any of it for granted,” she says. “Every training session, every game, every opportunity that I have to be able to play on that team and make an impact is so special. I think it feels even a little bit more special to me just because I haven’t been there in so long.”

This USWNT is and is not the same team Mewis last knew in 2014, having steadily grown in popularity and excellence. Since Mewis’ last stint, the team has won two World Cups while also entrenching itself in the zeitgeist of our progressive social era.

Mewis herself is both a familiar face and a new person, someone who has honed her craft during her six-year absence and, frankly speaking, grown up quite a bit. Thinking back to the start of her career with senior team, Mewis is quite honest about her maturity then versus where she is now.

“I first got called in with the national team when I was like 19, so I guess I just didn’t really have the knowledge to take it seriously as, ‘This is my career, everything that I do is going to affect my career,’” she says. “My professionalism is different now.”

Mewis also credits her time in both the NWSL and playing overseas with making her a wiser and more experienced player. Andonovski agrees, noting after November’s match that the Kristie Mewis of the past two years is a different player than the one he first drafted in 2013.

“First, off the field [she is] a little more committed and a little better pro, but then on the field with her play, with her performance, she showed she deserved to be around this group of players.”

Looking at who she was then, and who she is now, Mewis appreciates both the journey and its results.

“I do think that I’m a better player overall now than I was then,” she says. “I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, and I just feel more like a professional now. I think that the experience and the wisdom of being an older player really does go a long way.”

She doesn’t pretend to have a full understanding of the reality her Black teammates face, and in a moment of reflection, readily admits that “it’s been tough to realize how in the dark you have been your whole life.” But Mewis understands and embraces the responsibility to be proactive and not wait for her marginalized peers to show her the way.

“It is truly important to start the conversation,” she says. “Ask a question, read a book, listen to a podcast. Do anything. It’s just about starting it.”

 

THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THE COMEBACK KID

Shortly after our call, Mewis is heading back into camp with the national team in order to prep for the SheBelieves Cup. The tournament will provide yet another chance for Mewis to show not just her teammates and her fans what she’s made of, but herself as well.

As McCaffrey notes, “I think when we see professional athletes significantly elevate their level of play later in their careers, we often look for more tangible answers about what they changed — their strength training, their diet, their technical training routine. But what is so amazing about how Kristie has elevated her game is that the one element she truly changed is her mentality.”

Simply put, Mewis is tenacity and grit personified. Her journey exemplifies the power of the mind over the experience of the body, inspiring others to rethink their limits.

“I think it’s really important to admit to yourself what you truly want,” Mewis says, “and do whatever you can to get back to that place. It’s so cliché, but you really can do whatever you set your mind to.”

The 2021 SheBelieves Cup will take place from February 18-24 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the USA will play in a round-robin tournament with games on Thursday, February 18, Monday, February 22, and Wednesday, February 24.  Full game schedule here

FIFA Awards 2031 Women’s World Cup to U.S., Taps U.K. for 2035 Tournament

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino awards the Women's World Cup during the 49th UEFA ordinary Congress held at the "Sava Centar" congress center in Belgrade on April 3, 2025.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced the future Women World Cup hosts this week. (PREDRAG MILOSAVLJEVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed two future Women’s World Cup hosts at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade earlier today.

The 2031 event belongs to the United States, while the United Kingdom will host in 2035.

Infantino cited the UK “Home Nations” (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) as providing the only “valid bid” for 2035. The US submitted the sole bid for 2031 after ceding a prior campaign to host the 2027 tournament to Brazil.

“As part of the bidding process, we received one bid for '31 and one bid, valid bid, I should add for '35,” said the FIFA president.

“The path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in '31 and '35 in some great countries and some great nations to boost even more the women's football movement.”

Mia Hamm #9 of the US kicks against the defense of Germany during the semifinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup match on October 5, 2003.
The US last hosted the Women's World Cup in 2003. (Ben Radford/Getty Images)

US set to host third global FIFA tournament

2031 will mark a record third US-hosted Women's World Cup after successful runs in 1999 and 2003.

The national federation confirmed its intent to submit a 2031 Women's World Cup bid early last month. The decision came soon after FIFA said the 2031 tournament must be played either in North America or Africa.

“We are excited about the opportunity to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup and, in collaboration with our Concacaf partners, are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy,” U.S. Soccer posted. “One that elevates women's soccer across the world and inspires future generations of players and fans.”

Following a successful 2023 expanded tournament in Australia and New Zealand, 32 countries will again feature in the 2027 Women's World Cup. The competition is set to grow to 48 teams by the time the US hosts in 2031.

Women's World Cup hosts England celebrate with the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Trophy after their side's victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match  between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium.
First-time Women's World Cup hosts England won the 2022 Euros at home. (Lynne Cameron - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

UK to host first Women's World Cup in 2035

Unlike the US, the UK has never before welcomed the global women’s tournament. England did host the 2022 Women’s Euros, eventually winning the tournament on home soil.

2023 Women's World Cup winners Spain explored a late Women's World Cup bid in conjunction with Portugal and Morocco — their partners in hosting the 2030 men's event. However, FIFA quickly ruled out the possibility in favor of the UK's joint bid.

“Football is and always will be at the core of our country's identity,” UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said last month.

“Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekends like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else. That pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women's Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy.”

Watkins, Betts Honored as Big Ten Sweeps 2025 Naismith Awards

UCLA's Lauren Betts, sister of McDonald's All-American Game MVP Sienna Betts, and USC's JuJu Watkins look up during an NCAA basketball game.
Both UCLA center Lauren Betts and USC guard JuJu Watkins won 2025 Naismith Player of the Year awards. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins took home the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year award on Wednesday. The guard subsequently rose above a wealth of talent after a parity-heavy season that saw success spread across multiple conferences.

“We at Jersey Mike’s extend our congratulations to JuJu Watkins for her phenomenal accomplishment,” said Jeff Hemschoot, vice president of marketing at Naismith awards partner Jersey Mike’s. “Her extraordinary talent and significant influence on the court are unparalleled, and we are thrilled to honor her exceptional achievements with this prestigious recognition.”

Beating out NCAA superstars like Paige Bueckers and Hannah Hidalgo, Watkins averaged 23.9 points a game this season. She led the top-seeded Trojans through the NCAA tournament before tearing her ACL in the second round.

Watkins also won Big Ten Player of the Year, becoming USC's first conference POY since Cherie Nelson in 1988.

“This is just the beginning and I can’t wait for what’s ahead,” Watkins said after receiving the prestigious Naismith award. “Thank you so much again and fight on.”

Naismith Coach of the Year award winner Coach Cori Close of the Big Ten UCLA Bruins gestures after cutting down the net after a game.
UCLA coach Cori Close picked up the 2025 Naismith Coach of the Year award. (Tyler McFarland/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Big Ten racks up 2025 Naismith awards

The Big Ten swept the annual end-of-year awards for the first time in history. In addition to USC, No. 1 overall seed UCLA's also saw their impact reflected beyond the scoreboard.

Bruins junior Lauren Betts won 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. The junior center also picked up Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection this season.

Cori Close earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding UCLA to a Big Ten tournament title and a top-seeded NCAA tournament berth.

“JuJu’s exceptional prowess, Cori’s unwavering guidance, and Lauren’s relentless defensive prowess mean each is worthy of this year’s Naismith awards,” said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Their outstanding achievements have rightfully earned them the most esteemed accolades in college basketball. We take great pride in acknowledging their unshakeable commitment and remarkable abilities.”

“May our work in the win and loss column always pale in comparison to the work we do to help teach, mentor and equip for life beyond the hardwood,” Close said in a statement.

USWNT Kicks Off Against Brazil Amid Mounting Injuries

USWNT defender Tierna Davidson of the United States team is battling for possession with Gabi Portilho of the Brazil team during the Women's Gold Medal match between Brazil and the United States of America during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
USWNT star Tierna Davidson will undergo surgery for a torn ACL. (Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The USWNT will play the first of two April friendlies against Brazil on Saturday, as the repeat of 2024’s Olympic gold medal match launches both sides down the 2027 World Cup path — though this time, the US will take the field without several trusted Olympians.

Already missing mainstays Naomi Girma, Rose Lavelle, Mallory Swanson, Lynn Biyendolo, and Sophia

The USWNT will play the first of two April friendlies against Brazil on Saturday, as a repeat of 2024’s Olympic gold medal match launches both sides down the 2027 World Cup path.

This time, though, the US will take the field without several of the Olympians that helped them win gold last summer.

Gotham FC and USWNT defender Tierna Davidson prepares for a kick during a 2024 NWSL match.
Defender Tierna Davidson withdrew from this month's national team camp due to injury. (Karen Hickey/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

USWNT vets hit with injuries

The USWNT is contending with more than a few key roster absences. They're already without defender Naomi Girma, midfielder Rose Lavelle, and forwards Mallory Swanson, Lynn Biyendolo, and Sophia Wilson.

Compounding these challenges, Gotham FC announced yesterday that defensive mainstay Tierna Davidson suffered a season-ending ACL tear during a recent match against the Houston Dash. ​

“She is so, so good, she will be back,” US captain Lindsey Heaps said of Davidson. “We have not lost her. She will be great.”

In response to Davidson's injury, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has called up 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson from Angel City FC. Thompson, who earned two caps during the SheBelieves Cup, will join the national team for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil. ​

Trinity Rodman dribbles the ball during the USWNT's 2024 Olympic gold-medal winning match in Paris.
Rodman will return to the USWNT roster for the first time since the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Andrea Vilchez/ISI/Getty Images)

USWNT layers remain optimistic ahead of Olympics rematch

As the US continues to develop its young player pool, the team’s remaining vets will be tested against a top international opponent. But new faces might also get a chance to show out on the international stage.

Despite the roster gaps, there is one important frontline figure retaking the pitch. Striker Trinity Rodman will rejoin the USWNT on Saturday for the first time since the 2024 Olympics, with the Washington Spirit star still recovering from a lingering back injury.

“Going into the game, you know it’s going to be a difficult one,” Heaps continued. “We [need to] capitalize on our chances, because we might not get that many.”

“We don’t have the same players that we did in the Olympics. But I’m really, really excited to see you know what these new players can do,” she added.

Where to watch the USWNT vs. Brazil friendly on Saturday

The USWNT kicks off against Brazil on Saturday at 5 PM ET, with live coverage on TNT.

Final Four Spotlight: Texas Eyes One Last Dance with South Carolina

Final Four team Texas Longhorns celebrate during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
After winning the Elite Eight, Texas now faces rival South Carolina in the NCAA Final Four. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

When Texas takes on South Carolina this Friday, they’ll be playing for more than a shot at the NCAA tournament championship title. 

That's because this year's Final Four is a rematch, marking the fourth meeting between the Longhorns and the reigning national champion Gamecocks this season. Now, Texas is looking for a little revenge against their top-ranked SEC rivals.

Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer knows South Carolina well. It’s a competitive relationship that dates back to his time coaching Mississippi State, where he led the Bulldogs to the 2017 title game. And the story is strikingly similar.

“I think in '17, we played them three times also, before we played them in the Final Four,” Schaefer said after Monday’s Elite Eight win over TCU. “I think that was our fourth time when we played them in the national championship game.”

Bianca Cuevas-Moore #1 of Texas basketball rival South Carolina Gamecocks is defended by Morgan William #2 of the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs during the first half of the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Women's Final Four.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer's Mississippi State fell to South Carolina in the 2017 NCAA championship game. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Staley got the best of Schaefer back then, with South Carolina defeating the Longhorns 67-55 on the way to their first-ever national championship. On Friday, Texas will attempt to flip the script against the 2024 champs, in hopes of securing the team’s first NCAA title in over 30 years.

“That's the thing about Dawn's teams, is that you know you're going to get the same from them that you try to impart on others, too,” Schaefer continued. “They're going to be tough.”

While this Texas squad has showcased their own toughness all season long, South Carolina has once again proven to be a formidable foe. The Gamecocks downed the Longhorns 67-50 in their first clash back in January. Subsequently, the loss served as a valuable lesson, lighting a fire under Texas that they’ve carried with them ever since.

“If you’re going to be a top team you have to beat a top team,” star sophomore Madison Booker told Just Women’s Sports ahead of the 2025 SEC tournament. “Reality hits you right there.”

“After that [game], we kind of figured we weren’t preparing right,” she continued. “We weren’t preparing like we want to win championships. We weren’t preparing like we want to beat top teams, or be a top team. So we had to change.”

That late January defeat launched Texas into a 16-game winning streak. They went on to finish out the regular season without dropping a single additional game.

Head Coach Vic Schaefer of the Texas Longhorns reacts after win against Tennessee Volunteers during the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament before the Final Four.
Head coach Vic Shaefer has led Texas to four Elite Eight appearances in his five years at the program. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Moving to the SEC puts Texas in a whole new league

Joining the SEC in 2024 after 28 years in the Big 12, the Longhorns have adapted smoothly. They’ve shown that they know what it takes to become a true title contender, building on two straight appearances in the Elite Eight to punch their ticket to the program’s first Final Four in two decades.

The conference move didn’t hurt, said Schaefer. The coach credited what he calls “a different league" for challenging his players to grow this season. 

“I say it all the time, we jumped out of the frying pan and into the grease,” he said of the leap to the SEC. “It’s a different style, it’s certainly more physical. It’s a league that challenges you every night. You win on the road in this league, it’s like a win and a half.”

“This whole conference [season], I feel like people have been throwing some different stuff at me,” Booker emphasized on JWS podcast Sports are Fun! with Kelley O’Hara. “Box-and-one, face guarding, double- or triple-team. I think I’ve seen it all.”

Despite the competition, the Longhorns played to a 17-0 home record this year. Additionally, they gave up just one non-conference game to Notre Dame last December. Booker saw another excellent season, leading Texas in scoring on her way to winning SEC Player of the Year. And senior Rori Harmon’s return from injury gave Texas yet another boost, with the trusted point guard guiding Texas’s offense through difficult defensive sets with steady composure.

In early February, Texas settled the regular-season score with South Carolina, defeating the Gamecocks 66-62. And the win was bigger than the rivalry. It shot the Longhorns to the top of the AP Poll rankings. That boost saw Texas enter the SEC tournament as the country's No. 1 team.

And after ousting Ole Miss and LSU in the conference tournament’s first two rounds, there was only one team left to beat. 

Final Four player Madison Booker #35 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles against Tessa Johnson #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter during the championship of the SEC women's basketball tournament.
South Carolina held Texas's Madison Booker to 10 points in the SEC tournament final. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Texas basketball's bumpy road to the NCAA tournament

Texas reveled in wins as they came, whether it was going undefeated at home, winning a regular-season conference title, or progressing through the SEC tournament. But after each game, the same common refrain would emanate from the huddle: “What did Kobe say? JOB’S NOT FINISHED.”

“I think everyone understands what’s at stake here,” said Harmon ahead of Texas’s SEC conference final against South Carolina. “There’s definitely a chip on our shoulder. We need to get stuff done.”

Playing on their biggest stage yet, however, the Longhorns once again couldn’t hold off South Carolina. Eventually, they fell to the Gamecocks 64-45 in March's SEC championship. Rings aside, South Carolina had become Texas’s Achilles heel, with the SEC’s gold standard responsible for two-thirds of their losses going into March Madness.

Despite their late stumble, Texas still entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Longhorns then became more interested in defining their season from that point on, rather than wallowing in opportunities lost.

“You’re talking about a six-game winning streak. To win a national championship, you gotta win six in a row,” Schaefer said, sizing up the road ahead.

Final Four player Madison Booker #35 the Texas Longhorns celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs in the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Texas is shooting to play in their first women's NCAA title game since 1986. (Greg Fiume/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Taking March Madness by storm

So far, Texas has held up their side of the bargain. They’ve battled through four NCAA tournament rounds, downing March Madness debutant William & Mary, No. 8 seed Illinois, and tricky Tennessee side. Finally, they toppled a determined TCU team to set up a fourth date with their SEC rival. 

And they know full well that they’ll have to tackle this next game as if it was their last.

“It probably means a little bit more [this year], there’s seniors on the team, including me,” Harmon noted. “But this is the team that can do it.”

After turning a solid regular season into a breakout year, everyone in the Texas locker room is firmly on the same page. Intensity and poise got them to the Final Four. Now they’ll have to trust that process to get over the same hurdle that has haunted them throughout the season.

“There is so much on the line, but you've gotta just go play,” Schaefer said on Saturday. “That game is very difficult, and you gotta have kids that can just kinda block out all the distractions, and everything around 'em, and just go play the game.”

The message in the huddle remains the same, because despite all their accomplishments, the job is far from finished. And no one’s lost sight of the bigger picture.

“We're here for a reason,” Harmon said earlier this week. “We worked hard for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. And we put our faith into that.”

Watch more: 'Can Texas Make a Tourney Run?' on Just Women's Sports

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