The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Iowa State
No. 5 Women’s Basketball preview: Big 12 Championship Final vs. Iowa State
03.12.2024 | Women's Basketball
#5 Texas (29-4, 14-4 Big 12) vs. RV Iowa State (20-10, 12-6 Big 12)
Big 12 Championship Final
Tuesday, March 12 at 8:00 PM CT
T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Mo.
GameDay Quick Facts
TELEVISION: The game will be on ESPN2. Brenda VanLengen (pxp) and Sheryl Swoopes (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: All women's basketball games will air in Austin on 103.1 FM, along with the web streams on TexasSports.com and the Longhorn App. Craig Way and Cameron Parker will call the game.
Notables
• TEXAS BACK IN THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: This will mark the third straight season that Texas will play for the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship. In 2022 the Longhorns captured the title with a win over Baylor. Texas has won 11 tournament championships in the history of the program.
• MADISON BOOKER NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Texas freshman Madison Booker became the first freshman in Big 12 women's basketball history to earn the player of the year award, the league announced on Tuesday. Booker was also named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a unanimous selection on the All-Big 12 First Team. The awards were selected by a vote of the conference head coaches.
• PLENTY OF LONGHORNS HONORED BY BIG 12: DeYona Gaston was selected the Sixth Player Award honoree. Aaliyah Moore was selected to the All-Big 12 Second Team and the trio of Shaylee Gonzales, Shay Holle and Taylor Jones earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Holle earned placement on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Booker was a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
• MORE ON BOOKER: Booker is showing why she is one of the best players in the country. Booker has earned seven Big 12 weekly honors and three national weekly honors this season. Against ranked opponents this season Booker is averaging 21.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists over seven games. Only Caitlin Clark and Hannah Hidalgo have better averages against ranked opponents. Booker has 11 games scoring 20 or more points this season and has scored in double figures in 20 straight games. In Big 12 play Booker is shooting 48 percent from the field and 91.6 percent from the free-throw line.
• 400/100 FOR VIC SCHAEFER: On Feb. 14 at Houston, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer recorded his 400th career victory as a head coach. Schaefer, the 2X national coach of the year, has 20 wins over AP top-25 teams in his time at Texas and 19 wins over AP top-10 teams in his career. With the Texas 81-60 win over Iowa State on Saturday, Coach Schaefer recorded his 100th win at Texas. Schaefer was selected to the Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List.
• BOOKER ON WOODEN AWARD/NAISMITH LISTS: Booker was named to the Wooden Award top 20 watch list for the player of the year award. Booker is one of three freshmen on the list and one of two players in the Big 12 on the list. Booker was also named a Cheryl Miller Award top 5 finalist, the award for top female collegiate small forward. Booker earned a place on the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team and the USBWA National Player of the Year Watchlist.
• GETTING TO THE FREE-THROW LINE: This season the Longhorns have made more free-throws (514) than their opponents have attempted (509). Texas is +165 in free-throws made over opponents this season.
• RANKED WINS IN THE SCHAEFER ERA: The win over Kansas State represented the Longhorns 21st win over an AP top 25 team under head coach Vic Schaefer. That is tied for fifth most among all D1 programs over that time. It was also the 19th time in his career as a head coach that Schaefer has beat a top-10 opponent.
• SHAY HOLLE LOGGING THE MINUTES: Senior Shay Holle has been a critical piece for the Longhorns this season. Holle is averaging 37.2 minutes per game in conference play and has played 40 minutes in 10 games.
• POUNDING THE PAINT: The Longhorns are +15.1 points per game over opponents in points in the paint this season.
• MARGIN OF VICTORY: The Longhorns rank third in the NCAA in margin of victory on the season at +24.2. 25 of the Longhorns 28 wins this season have been by double digits. 17 of their wins have been by 20 or more points.
• AALIYAH MORE CAME TO PLAY: In the two games of the tournament, Moore is averaging 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
