ON THE NIGHT that Texas’ women’s basketball season ended with a two-point loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament, point guard Celina Rodrigo logged 36 minutes, center Imani McGee-Stafford 32 and shooting guard Empress Davenport 32. =
Karen Aston expected McGee-Stafford, Davenport and Rodrigo to contribute as college freshmen, but the first-year Longhorns coach’s master plan gave no indications that they’d carry such a heavy load.
“It’s not that we …
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didn’t expect our freshmen to play. It was the amount of minutes that was the issue,” Aston said. “In two years, they’ll probably look back and see this was a great opportunity for them.”
Before Aston turns the page on Texas’ 12-18 season — the worst in program history — there are lessons she wants her players to remember. The experience gained by her young Longhorns should be invaluable for future Big 12 races. In last week’s con- ference tournament, Texas and last-place finisher TCU were the only teams that didn’t have a senior starter.
Aston said the “light came on” for Texas in the final seven games of the season, particularly for the freshmen. McGee-Stafford earned Big 12 freshman of the year honors after setting a school record for blocked shots by a freshman.
Texas missed its first NCAA tournament since 2007. Aston said she “whole-heart- edly” believes the Longhorns will return to the tournament next year and, barring injuries, will be a basketball force in the near future.
“Where we should be,” she said.
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