TCU WBB: Rewriting the Record Books

The Horned Frogs' Sweet Sixteen berth is the latest in a long list of historic moments.

Tori Couch | Mar 24, 2025

TCU celebrates a second round win over Louisville and the program's first Sweet Sixteen bid. / Brian McLean/KillerFrog

In this story:

TCU Horned Frogs

Every time the TCU women’s basketball team has stepped on the court this season, records fall or a “program first” emerges.

At least it feels that way.

TCU's most recent feat was securing the program’s first Sweet Sixteen berth after an 85-70 win over Louisville. The Horned Frogs finished the season undefeated at Schollmaier Arena (21-0), booking a trip to the Birmingham Regional in front of 7,494 fans, the most to ever attend a TCU women's sporting event. That’s a far cry from the 1,622 people who witnessed Mark Campbell’s debut as TCU head coach on November 6, 2023.

“We broke a record,” guard Hailey Van Lith said. “The students were awesome. They got us through some tough moments where we were starting to turn it over a little bit and just how loud they were, it gives you a boost of energy.”

This team’s growing list of accomplishments includes the program’s first Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament titles since joining the conference in 2012, program records for assists (680 and counting) and made three-pointers (345 and counting) in a season and racking up the most wins in program history (33 and counting).

TCU’s first win over Baylor in 35 years on January 26 almost became a footnote when the team repeated the feat two more times for those conference titles. Snagging a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament meant the Horned Frogs hosted tournament games for the first time ever. The program’s first tournament victory in 19 years during the opening round followed by the Louisville win only solidified the team’s rising status.

“It's magical what they've done, but it's because they're just an amazing group of young women,” Campbell said. “But these wins, they alter a program's trajectory. It impacts recruiting on the highest level.”

Van Lith, center Sedona Prince and guard Madison Conner lead this historic team, forming a “Big Three” that rivals any other trio in the nation. During this season alone, Prince and Van Lith earned USWBA All-American honors, Conner reset her own single-season record for three pointers made (125 an counting), Van Lith took over the program record for assists in a season (198 and counting) and all three graduate students are on postseason award finalist lists.

En route to the Sweet Sixteen, the “Big Three” accounted for 44 points. Van Lith added 10 assists, Prince blocked three shots and Conner snagged six rebounds.

But fifth-year guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu and sophomore guard Donovyn Hunter really took center stage as Louisville trapped Van Lith and intentionally forced the ball away from her. Emma-Nnopu posted a season-high 23 points while Hunter dropped a career-high 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.

That versatility is part of what makes this team so dangerous.

“The game would have not been the same if they wouldn't have stepped up the way they did,” Van Lith said. “So, teams can keep doubling me and I'm going to keep giving it to my teammates because they're putting points on the board.”

Prince, Conner, and Emma-Nnopu helped lay the foundation for this year, coming in as transfers before the 2023-24 season along with guard Una Jovanovic (Cal State Fullerton) and graduate transfer Jaden Owens (Baylor). The only things Campbell could offer were playing time and a vision.

Each one had a different reason for coming to TCU. In Prince’s case, she wanted a fresh start. Her collegiate career started at Texas in 2018, but she never played a game due to injury. A four-year stint at Oregon resulted in 50 games played with 28 starts. Another injury before the 2022-23 season gave Prince time to step away from college athletics and evaluate her options.

Campbell coached Prince as an assistant at Oregon and recruited his former player behind the idea of transforming a 1-17 program into a powerhouse. Two years later, Prince is guiding TCU toward those new heights and finding a home in the process.

“I didn't think I was going to be in college at a school that I love so much in the community I just adore and have been embraced in,” Prince said.

Injuries derailed last season’s promising 14-0 start, but it showed the Horned Frogs could reach Campbell’s vision given more time. Adding Van Lith from LSU this offseason expedited the timeline. Hunter (Oregon State), Taylor Bigby (USC), and Maddie Scherr (Kentucky), who missed the season with an injury, also joined this past summer and will form the basis for future success.

This season is far from over. But no matter what happens at the Sweet Sixteen in Birmingham on Saturday against 3-seed Notre Dame, the 2024-25 team already holds a special place in TCU women’s basketball history.

"It's really cool to sit back and watch it and to be lucky enough to be a part of it," Hunter said. "But I'm not surprised at all that we're breaking all these record points in history. And it's all a testament to the team."

Advancing farther will only raise the bar for future teams.

“We've established ourselves as one of the best teams in college basketball,” Campbell said. “I think our brand and system and style of play is really fun to watch and kids want to play in it.”

The No. 2 seed TCU Horned Frogs (33-3) will face No. 3 seed Notre Dame (28-5) on Saturday, March 29 in the Birmingham Region 3 of the Sweet Sixteen. Tipoff time has yet to be announced.

Recommended Articles