Days after Texas’ defeat to South Carolina on April 4, head coach Vic Schaefer returned to work following the team’s first Final Four participation in 22 years.
To bolster their roster, the Longhorns signed five additional players. Taylor Jones and Shay Holle, two important players, left Texas, but there is a newcomer who isn’t as recent on Texas’ side of the gate.
Breya Cunningham joined the transfer portal on March 25 after playing for Arizona for the previous two seasons. Although Cunningham had previously contemplated a career at the Forty Acres, she committed to Texas less than a month later. Texas was one of her top choices and her second offer after high school. The second time around, Schaefer’s knowledge with the 6-foot-4 forward was crucial.
“Coach and I have always had a great relationship,” Cunningham remarked. It felt natural to return to a school I already knew in some way since this time after leaving Arizona, all I wanted was to go somewhere where I knew the coach, how he coached, the team’s operations, and how the squad would perform.
Cunningham had her greatest season to date last season, shooting 56% from the floor and averaging 11 points and seven rebounds. She was named an honorable mention for the Big 12 All-Conference. According to Coach Schaefer, the transfer will continue exactly where she left off.
In a press release, Schaefer said, “I recruited her two years ago out of high school when she was the No. 2 ranked player in the country in the 2023 class.” In addition to her experience and inside presence, Breya will be able to make an immediate influence on our program.
Cunningham and Madison Booker, the 2025 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, have already developed a rapport. The 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup, where Cunningham and Booker both won gold medals, and the 2023 McDonald’s All-American game are when their friendship began.
According to Cunningham, Madison is an excellent passer inside. I believe that will work out well for us because she is an excellent shot. She will give it to me, and I know Madison’s exact location and I know I can rely on her to shoot those if I’m doubled or unable to make the shot.
Jones’ 263 rebounds, Aaliyah Moore’s 87 rebounds (who will miss the upcoming season due to injury), and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda’s 108 rebounds (who transferred to Vanderbilt) are all lost for Texas. Fortunately for Cunningham, Texas added more reinforcements for the following season.
Teya Sidberry attends Boston College and Utah before transferring to Texas for her final season. She finished in the top 15 in both offensive and defensive rebounds throughout her stint in the ACC. In nine games, the forward also scored 20 points or more.
When Sidberry signed with Texas on April 28, Schaefer declared, “We really felt Teya could bring grittiness, a knack for rebounding, and an ability to finish and score in multiple ways.”
Texas also acquired a player from a conference rival. After playing for the Tigers for three seasons in her home state of Missouri, Ashton Judd moves to Texas. This season, Judd is anticipated to play both guard and forward. The Longhorns also welcomed two foreign players to their roster: Lovisa Asbrink Hose, a sophomore transfer from Sweden who will play center, and Grace Prenter, an Irish freshman guard.
