‘We’re just getting started.’ TCU’s future is bright despite loss to Texas in Elite Eight
The best basketball season in TCU’s program history came to an end in the Elite Eight Monday.
TCU’s 58-47 loss to Texas was a disappointing finish to what’s been a magical ride, but the final result shouldn’t overshadow such a special season. The Horned Frogs made fans across Fort Worth rethink what could be achieved in women’s basketball at TCU.
“I think our program is one of the best programs in the country,” head coach Mark Campbell said. “We had one of the best teams in the country. And we’re going to continue to build on that. They have laid a foundation that’s going to attract the next crop of incredible basketball players with the right DNA that fit this and want to be a part of this.”
Two seasons ago the Horned Frogs went 8-23 and 1-17 in the Big 12. TCU wasn’t just bad, the program was in a dark place and there was widespread apathy across the fanbase. The average attendance at home games was 1,610.
Fast forward two seasons when the Horned Frogs went 34-4, doubled their home attendance to 3,223 per game and hosted a NCAA Tournament game against Louisville in front of a sellout crowd at Schollmaier Arena.
No one would’ve believed that Campbell would have TCU one game away from the Final Four in just his second season, but Campbell always believed he had what it took to turn TCU from a doormat to a contender in the Big 12.
What Campbell and players like Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince did this season was send a message to all of the top basketball players that they can achieve their hoop dreams in Fort Worth.
“They left an incredible legacy,” Campbell said. “One, they’re the greatest team in TCU women’s basketball history. The legacy they left is they inspired a massive group of young girls in that community that you could chase your dreams at the highest level at TCU.
“I know for a fact — to see all these little girls wearing the jerseys of our players at the games and in the crowd and around the city, they have truly inspired that generation.”
This was the type of season that could change the next decade for women’s basketball in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs defeated some of the top basketball programs in the nation, like Notre Dame, Baylor and North Carolina State.
Van Lith became the program’s first Big 12 Player of the Year and could be a first round pick in the WNBA Draft along with Prince. Madison Conner went from a reserve at Arizona to a first team All-Big 12 shooter and also has a chance to play professionally.
That trio changed the identity of the program after overcoming their own personal struggles. Van Lith dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts during his time at Louisville and LSU. Prince dealt with countless injuries that made her think about retiring from basketball and Conner just needed a place where she could get a chance to showcase her potential.
They overcame all of the adversity and doubters while also building friendships that will last a lifetime.
“We weren’t ranked at the beginning of the year,” Van Lith said. “A lot of my teammates didn’t get the recognition and the accolades they deserve. I only made third team (All-American). Sedona was only honorable mention and somehow we’re in the Elite Eight knocking off people that had first-teamers and second-teamers, player of the years in their conference.
“So holy crap, how did we get here? We weren’t very good apparently to the public. We’re some dogs for fighting for that. When nobody expects you to do something, it’s hard to find the grit to go out and do it.”
With Campbell signing an extension earlier this month, the future is extremely bright for a program that no longer lives at the bottom of the Big 12.
“This is just the beginning for our program and our school of what we’re going to create. It truly is,” Campbell said. “This is only the second year. We’re just getting started.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM with the headline "‘We’re just getting started.’ TCU’s future is bright despite loss to Texas in Elite Eight."
