The Sweet 16 matchup between Texas and Gonzaga will likely see several different contributors as these are two teams with good depth. Both programs are enjoying one of their most successful seasons ever, and they will enter the Sweet 16 hungry to keep it going.
Despite losing star point guard Rori Harmon to a season-ending injury in late December, the Longhorns earned the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women's Tournament since 2004. A lot of the credit goes to freshman Madison Booker, who took over Harmon's ball-handling responsibilities and has been thriving as one of the top freshmen in the nation.
Booker is averaging 16.8 points and five rebounds per game, but she is not the only contributor as four other Longhorns are also averaging over eight points per contest. Booker and junior forward Aaliyah Moore scored 21 points each during Texas' 65-54 win over Alabama in the Round of 32. That was Texas' 32nd win, the most for the program since the 1987-88 season.
Gonzaga is also at a program-record 32 wins this season. The Zags are the last mid-major team standing, and they haven't looked outmatched yet. Gonzaga had a challenging non-conference schedule that helped build its resume, including a win over Stanford in December.
The winner of Friday's matchup will move on to face the winner of No. 2 seed Stanford and No. 3 seed NC State on Sunday. Let's take a look at how you can watch the game before getting to a key storyline to follow in the game below.
How to watch (1) Texas vs. (4) Gonzaga
Date: Friday, March 29 | Time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Texas vs. Gonzaga: Key Storyline
Texas looked promising last season, but it seems the Longhorns are equipped to achieve much more this year despite Harmon's injury. A deep Gonzaga team is the perfect test for that because it will require full teamwork.
Last season, the Longhorns won the Big 12 regular-season championship for the first time since 2004. However, that talented group couldn't get past Louisville in the Round of 32. Now, the team is stronger because of how much everyone has bought in.
Yes, Booker has been huge for Texas, but other players' efforts should not be overlooked. Shaylee Gonzales, for example, returned for one more season because she knew the potential of this team. There is also Aaliyah Moore, who was a top player for the Longhorns during the 2021-22 season but last year only played nine games due to a knee injury. Moore being healthy gives Texas yet another solid scorer and rebounder.
