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The final year of college is a major time in the life of most student athletes, whether or not they have any intention of playing their sport after graduation. But for those incredible few who are predicted to not only keep playing but to play at the highest level possible, the final year is it: The time to leave it all on the court knowing you did the best you could have possibly done.
Texas senior guard Rori Harmon is absolutely prepared to do just that, with her head held high and her intention clear. At the time she spoke to Swish Appeal, the NCAA had just approved a waiver that would allow her to stay on for a fifth season if she chooses, a request she sent largely due to the fact that she missed most of the 2023-24 season after she tore her ACL.
The waiver approval “was nice,” Harmon says. “Obviously, I’m very grateful it was obtained and it was granted.” When I asked if she intends to take advantage of that extra year, the faintest expression of what might be surprise, or even skepticism, flits across her face. She points out that the WNBA is the goal of any woman who is serious about basketball, and she always thought her shot would come in 2025, right when it was always meant to.
“That’s where the best of the best is,” she explains. “So when you work as hard I have, and as other people who play basketball like me have, that’s something that you want to do.”
“I have another year,” she adds, “but that wasn’t planned.”
Harmon has played at Texas every year of college, eschewing the lure of the transfer portal altogether. Though she was heavily recruited by Mississippi State, Texas head coach Vic Shaefer’s domain is where she felt the most at home. “I know it was the right decision to make, and I don’t regret any decision I’ve made,” she says. The school’s coaching staff “was very transparent during the recruiting process,” and has “kept their word ever since.”
Integrity is something that Harmon values immensely. “I’m the type of person that does respect things like that,” she explains. “People who have character—they treat me well, and my family trusts them.” “I like where I’m at, I like how I’m trying to leave,” she continues.
“I’m trying to leave a legacy, and you can’t really leave a legacy if you don’t stay at schools long enough.”
Her WNBA goals have always been to be drafted top 10 or top five, a position that she’s held every year since she stepped out on Texas’ court. But if last season taught her anything, it’s that there are no guarantees.
On Oct. 18, Harmon was cleared to return to the court. Prior to that, she had been working out, just not at her maximum capacity. Her surgeon was letting her go at about 80 percent of what she’s capable of, but felt confident she would be ready in time for the team’s first game. Mentally, she’s been past the injury and ready to go.
Harmon’s position as a leader of the team, in combination with her year off the court, has also developed what one might dare describe as the potential coach side of her, something that teammate Laila Phelia experienced first hand during her own recruitment process. Phelia, who left Michigan to join Texas, says that hearing from Schaefer was a great part of the process, but the future teammates who reached out to her made the difference. “That really spoke to me a lot, to know these players were reaching out to me,” she explains.
“They really wanted to create a team,” Phelia continues. “And that was different than a lot of other universities, where it’s just the coaching staff reaching out. The fact that the top players on Texas’ women’s basketball team were reaching out and explaining to me how I would fit it—it really made my decision a lot easier.”
When asked about her role in Phelia’s recruitment, Harmon is modest. “I trust the coaches so much to recruit the best players for our team, but I was like, ‘Laila is the perfect fit, the perfect match—[she’s] exactly what we needed.’”
For Phelia, playing under Schaefer is “very exciting.” She’s also headed into her last year of college basketball no matter what happens, and of course, her sights are similarly set on the biggest court for women in the world: the WNBA. If that doesn’t pan out, she’s also curious about playing overseas, perhaps in Italy, or even Australia.
But like Harmon, before she can contemplate that next big step, Phelia is focused on the coming season. Texas has an exciting schedule that will give the team the opportunity to dominate on their home court against heavy hitters LSU and South Carolina. She sought advice from former Longhorn Ariel Atkins, who said the key to successfully navigating your final year of school is to stay present in the moment.
“Don’t think too far ahead,” Phelia says. “Worry about the next practice. Worry about the next game. Worry about getting in shape. Worry about literally busting your butt every single day in practice and giving it your all. Don’t worry about the next level right now.”
That advice, she continues, was “so real.” Phelia pauses, then adds, “I’m in college right now. Let me just stay in the moment and work on being the best player I can be.”
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