TAMPA, Fla. — As the Texas women's basketball team went through a shooting drill Thursday at Amalie Arena, Aaliyah Moore and Laila Phelia tracked their teammates' shots on clipboards.
This likely was not the role that Moore envisioned herself playing for a championship contender when she signed with Texas in 2020. Nor could this have been what Phelia expected when she transferred to UT from Michigan last spring.
But season-ending injuries have forced both Moore and Phelia to find new ways to contribute as Texas reached the Final Four for the first time since 2003. With Moore and Phelia on the bench, Texas will face South Carolina on Friday night in a national semifinal game.
"I'm human. I really do wish I could be playing," Moore said Thursday. "I don't want to dwell on the fact that I'm not playing, because there's so many other great things happening around me. For instance, my amazing teammates that are doing such a great job and are going out there every night and kicking butt."
Injuries costs Texas 2 potential starters during Final Four run
While telling the story of this season, Texas coach Vic Schaefer has often pointed out that the Longhorns have preserved despite "losing two starters." One was Moore, who has started 19 times this season. The other is Phelia, who was expected to push fellow guard Shay Holle for reps after leading Michigan in scoring last season.
But Moore has not played since she scored 11 points in an 80-76 win Jan. 23 over Tennessee, which was a performance that merited an appearance at UT's postgame press conference. Moore has dealt with tendinitis in her right knee since last season. Following UT's Final Four practice Thursday, she declined to give any further details about her injury but said she was "still trying to figure some stuff out."
Last summer, Phelia suffered a detached retina in her left eye. Phelia had emergency surgery but recovered in time to participate in Texas' first practices and start in the team's exhibition game against UT-Tyler. However, Phelia missed the team's season opener and came off the ...
