With the final seconds of Rori Harmon’s college career winding down, the tears just did not stop. An emotional Harmon was walking off for the final time in a Texas shirt. But before she could take the bench, Coach Vic Schaefer interrupted her for a final talk. The two shared a long hug as Texas lost out to UCLA in the final four, 51-44. After the game, Schaefer went on a fierce rant demanding more recognition for Harmon and her career with the Longhorns. 

“I want you guys to understand something,” Schaefer said in his post-game press conference. “I want everybody in the room to write this down. This is a crying shame, so you hear me good. Rori Harmon has scored 1,616 points, 977 assists, 659 rebounds, and 388 steals, and not one agency has ever voted her All-American.”

She is arguably the greatest point guard in Longhorns history and the only player in NCAA history to amass at least 1,500 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 350 steals. With 986 assists (yes, Schaefer was slightly off per basketball reference), she ranks 9th in the all-time assist charts, just 2 behind Niya Johnson. Despite this, she still doesn’t have a First-Team All-American selection to her name. Her only recognition came in 2026, when she was named to the UNBWA Third Team All-American list.

She has almost everything else. The point guard was a McDonald’s All-American at Cypress Creek and the 2021 Texas Gatorade player of the year. Harmon was the Big 12 freshman of the year. She’s been first- or second-team all-conference in three of the four full seasons she’s played. The one year she wasn’t all-conference (in 2024), she was named to the All-SEC defensive team. Even without an AP All-American, she’s the first Texas player to be an honorable mention for the honor four times.

“There’s not another player in the history of our game, you hear me? Not another player in the history of our game has had those stats, those four statistics, not one. She’s won 137 games,” Schaefer further  said. “You might as well get rid of whatever awards you got if she ain’t good enough to get one of them. That’s a shame. That is a crying shame to have our sport not recognize someone as good as she is.”

Well, it’s up for debate whether Harmon deserved more accolades. Because the players competing weren’t weak either. Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong, Hannah Hidalgo, and Caitlin Clark, among multiple other college legends who averaged 20+ points per game, earned that spot. Yet, this statement shows just how much Vic Schaefer believes in his player and the relationship between them. 

“When somebody like Vic Schaefer talks about you in that manner and speaks about how tough I play and how much I impact a basketball team and a program, it really does mean a lot from the bottom of my heart,” Harmon said in response to Schaefer’s backing. 

When Harmon stepped in Austin in 2021, she was small and young, so her teammates nicknamed her “Fetus.” Schaefer recruited her hard because he knew she would be prepared to handle his expectations. He immediately gave Harmon the keys and pushed her hard. Now that the journey is over, Harmon only has appreciation for her coach. 

“A lot of the stuff I did this season, you think about your career and your adversity and you do it for your teammates and everything, but I’ve been here for five years with Coach Schaefer, so I really wanted to do it for him.” She said, “It stings a lot, but I’m just super grateful to have been put in this position and to have started the foundation.”

Harmon has averaged 5+ assists each season and adapted to her role every year, suffering through an ACL tear. In her first season, she was a volume scorer, averaging 10.1 field goal attempts per game and that number even went up to 12 during her sophomore year. But this season she has reduced those and become the team’s engine.  She has given her everything for this team and it was unfortunate that her career ended against UCLA. But even during her final moments, she showed why she is the leader in the room.

Rori Harmon Steps In For Madison Booker After Vic Schaefer’s Blunt Admission

Texas had all the opportunity to defeat UCLA. They were their worst enemies, shooting 31% from the field and 22% from the three-point line. It was that simple. The shots just did not fall. The plays were scratchy and the team just seemed different. Yet, they were within 3 points with a minute left. But the clutch block from Lauren Betts meant it slipped from Texas. 

“I think we we feel like in our locker room we let one get away,” Schaefer said. “I think this one will haunt me as the coach for probably till the day I die.”

It was an especially bad day for Madison Booker, who had only 6 points, shooting 3-24 from the field. For context, she was averaging 22.5 points while shooting 57% from the field. So, in the post-game conference, Booker was asked if it will “haunt” her too. Booker had little to no explanation, as she was still overwhelmed by the moment. So, Harmon stepped in and defended her teammate. 

“Y’all have to realize she’s human,” Harmon said. “She’s a basketball player. We want her to take those shots. There is another player on the other team that is 6’7″, and all eyes go to Madison Booker. UCLA got their win tonight. I truly told Maddie, ‘I don’t care what your statistics look like. There were plenty of other things that caused us to lose the game.’”

She further asked Booker to be given “a break”.  It was the perfect display of why Harmon is so important to this team and why Schaefer believed in her so much.