NCAAW: Why rebounding, defense are key to Texas’ championship ambitions

Texas women’s basketball has made history by reaching the Final Four, their first appearance since 2003.

Under head coach Vic Schaefer, the Longhorns have been building toward this moment, advancing to the Elite Eight in three of the last four seasons before finally breaking through this year. The Longhorns’ success has been fueled by standout performances from forward Madison Booker and guard Rori Harmon. Booker, averaging 18.8 points per game in the NCAA Tournament while shooting 50 percent from the field, has been pivotal in key moments, including an 18-point performance against TCU where she made several clutch midrange shots to put the game out of reach.

Texas will play South Carolina on Friday for a chance to reach the national championship game for the first time since 1986. They faced South Carolina three times this season, with the Gamecocks winning two of those matchups, including a decisive victory in the SEC Championship game. However, Texas did secure one win over South Carolina at home, thanks to dominant interior play and second-chance opportunities generated by offensive rebounds—one of three keys to victory if this Longhorn team wants to make history.

1. Control the paint

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Texas thrives on scoring inside, with over 80 percent of their points coming from in the paint and the midrange. During the tournament, that number is up to 90 percent. This team does not shoot a lot of 3s. In their win against TCU, they only attempted three 3-pointers—which sounds absurd for 2025—but the Horned Frogs, who took 20 3s, only scored six more points from beyond the arc.

Texas as a team shoots an absurd 47 percent from the midrange on the season, which is very good for collegiate standards and will be the difference maker if they are going to beat the Gamecocks. However, Texas has struggled finding the stroke so far this postseason, shooting an abysmal 36 percent, which will not cut it in the Final Four. Thankfully, Texas has held opponents to only 68 points per 100 possessions during this stretch, which is the second-best mark of all 64 teams in the tournament.

2. Defense

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South Carolina boasts a deep roster of positive defenders, but they’ve struggled mightily on offense in the tournament. The Gamecocks have an offensive rating just over 90 during the tournament, which is very concerning, while boasting a ludicrous 22 percent turnover rate.

This benefits Texas in a big way because the Longhorns are one of the best teams in the sport at forcing turnovers. Against TCU, the Longhorns broke out a full-court trap, forcing 21 turnovers, which was more than the number of field goals made by the Horned Frogs.

If Texas wants to win this game, they will need to slow down the pace and win the possession battle. Texas took 16 more shots than TCU. That massive gap will have to be the difference against South Carolina.

3. Rebounding wins

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Legendary NBA coach Pat Riley once coined the famous mantra, “No rebounds, no rings.” Throughout his experience as a championship-winning head coach, he recognized how crucial rebounding is to winning at the highest level. It limits extra possessions for the other team and gives your team more chances to score.

Texas has been one of the best rebounding teams all season, averaging just under 16 offensive rebounds per game. South Carolina also has been a solid rebounding team, but Texas is better. If this game comes down to a possession or two, the Longhorns will need to key in on their identity, which is creating second chances on the glass and limiting them for the other team.

South Carolina enters Friday’s semifinal as the defending champions, and while Texas may be underdogs against the Gamecocks, the familiarity with their style and personnel advantages give them a fighting chance. If they can dominate inside while limiting mistakes and finding offensive contributions beyond Booker, they could pull off an upset and advance to their first title game since 1986.