TCU women enjoy journey, hope for another ‘magical run’ in March Madness
One of TCU head coach Mark Campbell’s favorite things to do during press conferences is talk about “the journey of the season.”
In Campbell’s mind, every season is its own adventure, regardless if the cast of characters is the same. Last year, the journey for TCU was one of searching for validation.
Led by Hailey Van Lith, the Horned Frogs became one of the biggest surprises in the nation, going from unranked in the preseason to capturing the program’s first Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championships. Van Lith, along with Sedona Prince and Madison Conner, also helped TCU reach the Elite Eight for the first time in the best season in program history.
After accomplishing so much in his first two seasons in Fort Worth, Campbell could've taken the rebuilding approach with TCU after losing seven seniors, including his big three in Van Lith, Prince and Conner.
But Campbell has already shown signs of being one of women’s basketball’s best coaches, and the great coaches don’t rebuild, they reload.
Last year’s journey brought TCU close to the mountaintop of college basketball, but this season’s journey is about staying near the top with a mostly new band of adventurers.
And on this adventure, the No. 14-ranked Horned Frogs might not have to leave Fort Worth until the Final Four.
The Horned Frogs will enter the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed, determined to match and exceed last year’s run with the possibility of playing the first four games in Fort Worth. TCU will host the first and second round at Schollmaier Arena and could land at Dickies Arena for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
The Horned Frogs will find out their first-round opponent and possible regional destination when the NCAA Tournament bracket is released at 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.
Here’s why TCU is capable of making another magical run in March:
Transfer portal king
The first priority for Campbell as the program prepared for its next journey was restocking the roster. Van Lith, Conner, Prince and even players like Agnes Emma-Nnopu all played vital roles in TCU going from last place in the Big 12 in 2023 to the Elite Eight.
How would Campbell approach replacing so much experience and production? By arguably signing an even more talented class of new players led by All-American guard Olivia Miles from Notre Dame. Miles turned down being a top-three pick in the WNBA draft to spend her final collegiate season in Fort Worth.
It ended up being a wise decision. Miles was named Big 12 Player of the Year after averaging a career-high 19.6 points with 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists.
“It meant a lot, considering everything I’ve been through,” Miles said at the Big 12 Tournament. “It meant more because it means our team is doing well, and we have a healthy ecosystem, and we’re winning games. I couldn’t have done it without them, and they give me the confidence to be who I am out there.”
Part of that healthy ecosystem included another signature transfer pickup in Marta Suarez from California. Suarez was productive at Cal but has now become one of the breakout stars in college basketball.
Suarez earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after averaging a career-high 17.2 and 7.3 rebounds. Suarez became the perfect partner to pair with Miles, who is arguably the best floor general in college basketball with a tight handle and rare passing ability.
Suarez is the definition of versatility with her ability to hit 3-pointers, handle the ball and create shots for herself in the post. Despite only playing together one season, the synergy between the two stars is strong and has formed the basis of the offensive identity for TCU this season.
“Marta is different than we’ve ever had,” Campbell said. “She’s a stretch-four that the offense runs through. When you look back at our past teams, Hailey and Sedona are who the actions ran through. This year it goes through Olivia and Marta, so you had to reshape and restructure to make sure the ball gets to her, that she’s in her spots to make plays.
“That’s what coaching is, trying to figure out how you can manipulate the game and get your players into the right position. The end result is still great spacing. We want layups and 3s, and we want to pick-and-roll you to death, so it’s been fun.”
Over the course of the season, it was hard to tell this was the first season the two played together because of their strong chemistry and professional skill sets.
Suarez has shot up mock drafts with her production this season and has a strong chance to join Miles as a first-round pick. The duo pushed each other in practice and even on the court and their effectiveness will be the key to TCU advancing further in its journey.
“I have such a profound respect for Marta and the way she approaches the game,” Miles said. “I truly have not seen anyone as committed to her craft. She’s an example for me, and someone I truly look up to. We may butt heads, and we may challenge each other, but we’re truly committed to the journey and learning together.”
Landing players of Miles and Suarez’s caliber was already enough to make his portal class elite, but Campbell also added more pieces who fit seamlessly with his two stars.
Six-foot-7 center Clara Silva arrived from Kentucky and has given the Horned Frogs a gifted two-way center who is only scratching the surface of her potential. Silva averaged 1.7 blocks and formed a formidable one-two punch with Arizona State transfer Kennedy Basham in the paint. Basham is another 6-7 center, making TCU one of the tallest teams in the nation.
TCU also landed Veronica Sheffey from San Diego State, whom Miles referred to as the Horned Frogs’ secret weapon. Sheffey started 68 games in her career before transferring to TCU and gives the Horned Frogs a valuable luxury of having an experienced guard off the bench.
Texas A&M transfer Taliyah Parker was the last piece of the transfer class, and Campbell also brought in three freshmen, including the talented 6-4 guard Clara Bielefeld from Germany.
Campbell had rebuilt the roster, adding playmaking, size and depth. But before the success could come, this new group had to gel together and prepare for the weight of expectations
Target on their back
The Horned Frogs did bring a few key pieces back from last year’s Elite Eight in Donovyn Hunter and Taylor Bigby. They had gone through the experience of Van Lith’s group having jell together and knew what it would take to be successful.
They had smaller roles last season, but were now going to be the leaders in the locker room. The two defensive-minded guards played a vital role in getting all the new pieces to fit.
“We just made sure we set the tone,” Hunter said. “There’s only three or four us that are here that know the system and knows what it takes. We had leadership in our special way, and it’s been great. It translated to all the girls coming in. They understood what TCU is about.”
With the success of the prior season plus the offseason additions, the Horned Frogs entered this season with the most hype the program has ever had.
TCU was ranked No. 17 in the preseason AP Top 25, the highest ever, and was also picked to win the Big 12 for the first time.
The Horned Frogs quickly proved worthy of the preseason praise as they surged to a 14-0 record with double-digit victories in every game. There was a brief setback in an overtime loss to Utah on Jan. 3, but TCU went on another four-game winning streak.
That’s when adversity struck as TCU went 3-3 during a six-game stretch starting on Jan. 19 in its loss to Ohio State in Newark, New Jersey. The Horned Frogs would drop games to Texas Tech and Colorado and also lost senior guard Maddie Scherr, who reaggravated her back injury. Scherr hasn’t played since Feb. 8.
With the losses piling up, it became a real question if TCU could still earn a top-16 seed to host in the NCAA Tournament and defend its Big 12 championship. Even in the games the Horned Frogs did win, the battles were grueling, like a 79-77 win over Kansas on Jan. 29.
TCU was no longer the hunter, but the hunted, and every team knew that defeating the Horned Frogs could be a season-changing win.
“Last year there was no pressure. We were kind of the underdog,” Hunter said. “No one really knew what TCU was capable of. There was all this chatter about they could be good, but will they be? This year it was more like they have a system that works, they won last year, and there is pressure in terms of what are [we] going to do?”
That was the question TCU had to ask itself after its 80-79 loss to Colorado on Feb. 8. Would it fold or find a resiliency to make a push for the Big 12 title?
The answer was quick and decisive, as Miles scored 40 points and hit 10 3-pointers in the very next game to defeat a ranked Baylor in Waco. That was the start of an eight-game winning streak that helped the Horned Frogs secure a second straight regular-season conference title.
That final game of the season served as a coronation for TCU, as the program hosted ESPN’s “College GameDay” for the first time ahead of its fifth straight victory over Baylor to clinch the outright championship.
The regular-season journey was different from a year ago, but still ended in the same conclusion with TCU atop the Big 12 standings. Campbell reflected on the way the Horned Frogs navigated the pressure to repeat as champs.
“Every time you roll into a gym, you’re getting their best shot. They’re excited to play,” Campbell said. “They’re excited to go at TCU, and that’s part of being a champion is to take everybody’s best shot and still find a way to get it done. This group, they had a bull’s-eye on them from the get-go. And they delivered.”
TCU sets sights on ‘magical run’ in NCAA Tournament
TCU’s Big 12 Tournament title defense came up just short, as the Horned Frogs fell to West Virginia in the championship game. It was the third matchup between the teams after TCU swept the season series.
The loss stings, but doesn’t change the outlook of TCU’s chances of contending during March Madness.
With an All-American point guard, a future draft pick at power forward and a deeper roster, TCU has everything it needs to navigate the final chapter of its yearlong journey to try and make the program’s first Final Four.
The loss against Mountaineers could be the final piece of motivation TCU needs to make another historic run.
“We get a week — and they’ve earned this — to recharge, to get refreshed, and then the real thing begins,” Campbell said. “And we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we don’t feel this pain for a while. And hopefully we can have a magical run.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
