Why is every TCU women’s player wearing No. 40 before March Madness game?
The TCU Horned Frogs will be massive favorites in their first March Madness game against UC San Diego on Friday, but head coach Mark Campbell pointed out that only one thing is guaranteed in postseason basketball.
“The tail end of the season, I think we won eight straight and earned our way to the championship game of the Big 12, and that night and that game got outplayed by West Virginia,” Campbell said. “That was also a healthy reset. We were rolling for a while, and it stings when you lose a game like that, and for young people, it’s just a really good reminder heading into March Madness that we’re only guaranteed 40 minutes. This week in practice, every jersey front and back had the number 40 on it, and that’s a reminder that the only thing we’re promised right now is 40 more minutes of basketball, and we got to be locked in and earn the right to play another game.”
It’s something that senior Marta Suárez, playing in the second NCAA Tournament game of her career, echoed talking about the team’s mindset heading into the game.
“We’re confident, and we’re aware of the moment, and we’re just excited,” Suárez said. “And anything that’s happened before, like everybody says, it’s March, it’s 0-0. Like, you don’t get no extra points for winning nothing. You don’t get no extra points for no awards, for no losses, for no nothing. Like, you just go out there and win, and I think that’s where I’m very confident in this team. In the one-on-one, there’s a winner, there’s a loser. We’re going to take that win.”
Campbell talked about the team’s age being an asset over the past several seasons in understanding the moment.
“We got an old team a year ago. We were one of the oldest teams in the country, and this year, one of the oldest teams in the country, and so these players understand what’s at stake,” Campbell said. “They understand March, and they have big goals and things that they want to accomplish.”
Junior Donovyn Hunter talked about those older players and how the team wanted to win for them.
“This is [the seniors’] last year,” she said. “So for me, I have another year under my belt coming up. So I think it’s a cool opportunity to be able to just … play for all the seniors that are on the team. Last year it’s kind of a similar process where there were a lot of older girls on the team. So for me, March this year is kind of just to do what I can for the team, and it’s a cool thing to be able to be alongside them for their last ride.”
One of those seniors is Taylor Bigby, who talked about the camaraderie on the Horned Frogs.
“We just love playing for one another, and we love seeing each one of us eat,” she said. “Like, if it’s Marta’s night, it’s Marta’s night, if it’s Liv’s night it’s Liv’s night, if it’s [Clara] Silva’s night. Like, we just love seeing each other do what we do best. And, yeah, I mean, I do know our lowerclassmen are trying to cheer on our upperclassmen just telling us, hey, like, ‘This is y’alls last ride. We don’t want you guys to have any regrets at the day.’ So that, also the camaraderie and just the focus that we have in practice. You can definitely feel that vibe.”
Suárez talked about the team growing close quickly over the summer. Star guard Olivia Miles concurred.
“I feel like we’ve been together,” Miles said. “From my perspective, I’ve been, like connected with these girls from day one, and it’s only grown, and to you guys, it may feel like something different, but to us, it feels like a tight-knit, close community, and we support each other both on and off the court.”
TCU will open the NCAA Tournament against UC San Diego at 11 a.m. Friday at Schollmaier Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN.
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 3:50 PM.
