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On Thanksgiving, then-No. 4 Texas found themselves in a tight battle against then-No. 2 South Carolina.
The game was even at 64, and the Longhorns had a chance to get out in front. Rori Harmon brought the ball up the court and was steadfast in her decision-making. She went one-on-one against Tessa Johnson, beat her off the dribble and nailed the game-winning basket.
Harmon only scored six points in this game—but that’s exactly what makes her such a valuable guard.
The super senior can score when she needs to, but she also impacts the game in a myriad of ways. In the win over the Gamecocks, she had nine assists, which was not only a game-high but also placed her as the all-time assists leader for Texas.
After the game, her head coach, Vic Schaefer, gave her the highest praise possible, insisting:
Well, I’ve been watching it for four and a half years or going on four and a half and the kid just got it in her veins. She is tough as nails, but she’s a great example of you invest in your craft, in that moment, she’s able to make that shot. And she’s made it in her mind. She’s made it actually in games before, but it’s just a really special team when you have a point guard like that.
Last season, Harmon had to make the biggest investment in her craft, fighting to come back after tearing her ACL in December 2023. In just 10 months, she returned and helped the Longhorns reach the Final Four. Now she’s fully back and working to finish her story with a national title.
Regardless of whether Harmon achieves her goal or not, she should be coveted by plenty of WNBA teams. She has the intangibles, such as leadership, loyalty and being a winner.
And most importantly, she has professional talent. Harmon not only has a burst of speed, but she also knows all the angles. She can create space, manipulate players to find her best shot and she’s a pass-first guard. Her belief is to find the best shot available, and she doesn’t care if that’s her or one of her teammates, like Madison Booker or Jordan Lee.
Sure, Harmon could’ve left Texas and gone to a lesser program to prove she can be a double-double machine, boosting her numbers and likely her draft stock, but that’s not her style. She’s loyal to her team, and that kind of commitment will be desirable at the next level as well.
On the floor, Harmon also is a defensive irritant, averaging 2.8 steals per game. Her aforementioned passing remains impressive, averaging 6.3 assists per game.
There are still other parts of he game that could use work. Her 3-point attempts need to go up as she takes just 0.5 per game. Ideally, she’d also be a better free-throw shooter. Currently, she’s averaging 71 percent from the charity stripe. An average of 80 percent would be much more ideal. Still, the good far outweighs the bad, and Harmon still has most of her last collegiate year to grow, develop and raise her draft stock.
Currently, most mock drafts have her outside of the lottery, but don’t be surprised if someone jumps up to select her. She’s beaten the odds time and time again, and as a quick guard in a league that’s pushing the pace, she’s going to make a franchise very happy.
