When Krista Gerlich returned to Texas Tech in 2020 for her first year as the team’s head coach, she aspired to take the program where it belongs. And now, six years later, it is fairly sure that she is heading in the right direction. With a 19-0 record in the 2025-26 season following the Lady Raiders’ latest victory against the Houston Cougars, both the team and its head coach are on the brink of history.

Notably, the last time that Texas Tech started its season with a 19-0 record was back in the 1992-93 season. Moreover, that season also culminated in their first National Championship title-winning year. And one individual who was part of both these historic runs of Texas Teach is none other than Coach Gerlich. She was one of the trusted guards of the then-head coach, Marsha Sharp.

“It’s been a long time, it’s kind of crazy,” Gerlich said while addressing her team’s unbeaten record in a press conference. “I would love to be on a 19-0 run at the end of the season; that would be fantastic. But I’m just super proud of this team, just continuing to stack wins and showing up with a great attitude.”

Gerlich’s Texas Tech has been the team to beat from the Big 12 conference this season. Powered by seniors such as Bailey Maupin and Snudda Collins, the team has taken down powerhouses like the Baylor Bears. In the recent game against the Hougers, too, senior Maupin logged in 19 points and four assists to help her team to a 71-59 victory. Gerlich credited her team’s hard work off the court behind this success and the unbeaten 19-0 record.

“They were fantastic in practice the last two days, when they could have been moody, tired, and disinterested. But they are not, they are very connected and locked in,” she added in the press conference.

Courtesy of Texas Tech’s impressive performances, Krista Gerlich’s side is also in line to compete at the National Championships for the first time in nearly 13 years. Her side currently leads the Big-12 conference and also broke through the AP Top-25 list last month.

What’s Next for Krista Gerlich and Texas Tech in the 2025–26 Season?

With an unbeaten record in the season, Krista Gerlich and the Texas Tech Women’s basketball team have some prominent challenges to deal with in the latter part of the season. Even though they have proven their prowess by defeating Baylor, it would be interesting to see how the Lady Raiders fare against even higher-ranked teams, such as TCU, next month.

However, it would be unfair to say that Gerlich’s side lacks the necessary arsenal to overcome these challenges. The team is ideally led on offense by Bailey Maupin, who is averaging career-best 15.4 points so far this season. Moreover, Jalynn Bristow is also in fine form this year and is leading the team in rebounds and blocks.

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The main hurdle that Gerlich will face is improving the defensive line of her side. As per Fox Sports, Gerlich’s side’s defensive rating stands at 75.0, one of the lowest among the top 25 teams. However, Texas Tech’s recent signing of 7’1 Stephanie Okechukwu can help Gerlich in this hurdle. Okechukwu’s gifted height and physique can immensely help Texas Tech in protecting their end of the court.

However, concerns persist regarding her eligibility issues with the NCAA in the 2025-26 season. If the Nigerian doesn’t make it to the roster for Gerlich, the coach will have to trust senior Gemma Nunez. The 5’7 guard is leading Texas Tech in assists and steals. Moreover, she was also named to the All-CAA Defensive team in 2025.

With these hurdles and challenges, can Gerlich lead Texas Tech to the NCAA Championships title? What’s your thought?