Texas’ Madison Booker returning to elite form after slow start
The recent Madison Booker sightings have been promising for Texas. After an up-and-down start to the season, Booker is starting to look like the star she was as a freshman last season.
For this week’s women’s college basketball Star Power Index, we dive into Booker’s resurgence while also highlighting a massive upset in Texas’ former conference.
Madison Booker, Texas
Following a stunning freshman debut, Madison Booker’s sophomore season has been a bit quieter following No. 5 Texas’ move to the SEC. But after two big performances against top-20 opponents, it’s starting to look like Booker is finding her game-changing ways in the new conference.
Booker kicked her resurgence off with a 28-point performance in Texas’ 89-51 blowout win over then-No. 8 Maryland on Monday. She followed this up by carrying the Longhorns to a tight 80-76 win against No. 18 Tennessee. Booker scored 26 points against the Lady Vols while shooting 50% from the floor. She also added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in an outing reminiscent of the ones that earned her the 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year award.
Women’s college basketball rankings: Texas returns to top five, Vanderbilt ranked for first time since 2014
Isabel Gonzalez
Women’s college basketball rankings: Texas returns to top five, Vanderbilt ranked for first time since 2014
With Booker rounding into form, this top-10 Texas team is looking like a real threat in one of women’s college basketball’s best conferences. If the Longhorns can get a big win in the SEC and make it through the conference tournament unscathed, then there’s no ceiling on how far a Booker-led Texas team can go in March.
No. 5 Texas plays Missouri on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Dawn Staley is the unquestioned leader of this South Carolina team. As a result, the No. 2-ranked Gamecocks are usually carried to victory by a committee of players who sacrifice individual glory for team success. However, over the course of the season, a highly-touted freshman has become a go-to, game-defining bench player for South Carolina.
On Friday, Joyce Edwards played 20 minutes off the bench, scoring a team-high 14 points to lift the Gamecock to their 66-56 win over then-No. 5 LSU. This performance serves as a microcosm of Edwards’ production this year.
On the season, the freshman is averaging a team-high 12.2 points. She’s also playing 20 solid minutes and shooting an efficient 55.9% from the field. There’s no doubt Edwards’ consistent play has helped South Carolina glide to its current 19-1 record. And they’ll need it to continue as the Gamecocks seek to finish the season with an exclamation point.
No. 2 South Carolina will play No. 18 Tennessee on Monday at 7 p.m. ET
Jade Masogayo, Colorado
The unpredictability of the Big 12 reared its head Saturday. And unfortunately for the Wildcats, Kansas State was caught in its jaws.
The No. 11 Kansas State Wildcats dropped what seemed, on paper, to be a gimme-game to Colorado, losing by double-digits to the Buffs. Colorado came away with this 63-53 win thanks to their 6-foot-3 anchor Jade Masogayo.
Not only did Masogayo score 13 points, but she also pulled down seven boards and turned away four shots. Three of these blocks came in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats were pushing for a comeback win.
On the season, Colorado is 2-2 against AP Top 25 opponents. They’re now 4-4 in conference play with a 13-6 overall record.