That Friday night, from the cruelty of March, it was a rough introduction for a player who had dominated the Big 12 all season.
They compared her to Kevin Durant. Wearing his number—No. 35—University of Texas Madison Booker, came out bearing the weight of that legacy. But on April 3, in Phoenix, the Texas junior set the record for the longest shooting slump in Final Four history.
That Friday night, from the cruelty of March, it was a rough introduction for a player who had dominated the Big 12 all season. Booker learned that championship pressure creates a different kind of history.
Booker’s nightmare began after scoring the game’s first basket. She had a rough night; from then on, she wouldn’t make another field goal for nearly three quarters, missing 17 consecutive shots.
Booker’s nightmare began after scoring the game’s first basket. She had a rough night; from then on, she wouldn’t make another field goal for nearly three quarters, missing 17 consecutive shots.
The Longhorns outshot UCLA 65 to 44 in total attempts. They grabbed 10 more offensive rebounds, forced 23 turnovers while committing just 12. But Texas couldn’t finish at the rim, just hitting 11 of 25 layups—including Booker’s final attempt with 20 seconds remaining.
With the deficit cut to three points and the season ticking away, she drove for the potential tying basket. But, she slipped. The ball rolled away. Season over.
“I slipped,” Booker said postgame, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s not what we wanted. I literally slipped.”
But Booker refused to carry the blame alone. Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon, the heart of the Texas program, Booker’s backcourt partner, shut down any narratives that the loss fell on one player.
“Y’all got to realize she’s human,” Harmon said. “She’s going to sit here and be like, ‘Yeah, this is on me.’ No, it’s not. It’s just not. So, just please give her a break.”
Texas coach Vic Schaefer, calling the loss “one that will haunt me till the day I die,” made clear that Booker’s legacy remains secure despite one rough night. He pointed to the rafters at the University of Texas.
“She’s 555 points from being the all-time leading scorer in the history of the University of Texas,” Schaefer said. “Her jersey number 35 will be hanging from the rafters next to KDs if I have anything to do with it.”
The loss ended the Longhorns’ (35-4) season in the national semifinals for the second consecutive year, falling 51-44 to top-seeded UCLA (36-1). There will be a senior season for Booker; however, for Harmon, this is the end of a 137-win career that her coach argued should have included All-American honors.
“We let one get away,” Schaefer said. “But we didn’t let each other down.”