The Texas Longhorns cruised to a 93-63 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, but the victory came with a worrying moment. Star player Madison Booker exited the game early with what appeared to be a back injury, leaving the team with concerns. Head coach Vic Schaefer has since provided an update on Booker’s condition, although he admitted he had “not much” to share.

“Not much. I don’t really have a lot to give you right now,” Texas HC Vic Schaefer told reporters, according to On3’s Tyler Horka. “We’ll see how she responds and go from there. mean, you think about it. Madison Booker didn’t play tonight because she didn’t feel good. That says a lot about what happened because Maddie’s tough. That kid’s tough. And she loves to play. So whatever we got, we’ll know more tomorrow. Hopefully she wakes up and feels like a million dollars.”

Three-time AP All-American Booker was performing at an elite level, having already scored nine points, with two assists and three rebounds as well. But the performance came to an abrupt end near the end of the first half.

Booker tried for a layup with an airborne attempt with 1:30 left in the second quarter. But she didn’t know this would prove lethal to her back, as she was undercut by South Dakota State’s Mahli Abdouch and fell to the court. The impact was straight on her back, after which she grimaced in pain, remaining on the floor for a while.

The two-time All-SEC was seen walking off the court to the bench, holding her back with her hand, and leaving for the team locker room with a trainer. One of the team’s spokespersons said she was likely out of the game following the incident, which proved true, as Booker didn’t return to the court for the rest of the game.

Entering her fourth year, the star has been incredibly reliable for the Longhorns, having started 37 games in the 2023-24 season and 78 games over the last two years. She also led the league in total minutes played for the past two years.

Not only has Booker been reliable, but she has also been in top form in her senior year, recently scoring 30 points and finishing 10-for-14 from the field against the Northern Colorado Bears in a 91-29 win, marking her third time scoring 30-plus points. Not only that, but Booker also hit the 2,000-point mark, moving into third place for all-time career points in the program’s history.

But in her absence, sophomore guard Jayda Clark stepped up for her team, scoring 24 points and shooting 10-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. She also added five rebounds, three assists, and a steal to her name. Clark also reflected on Booker’s injury after the game.

“Maddie (Booker) is a huge part, if not the biggest part, of our offense and defense really. So yeah, I think when she went down, the first thing through my mind was, ‘Okay, yep, let’s step it up. I’ve got some shoes to fill,'” said Clark. “But we have a great team. Everyone can score and I think we actually shared the ball really, really well.”

With this win, the Longhorns are now 3-0 in the conference. The Longhorns have also won 47 straight games at Moody Center, improving their home record to 72-5 all time. The Longhorns will play the Tarleton State Texans next on Saturday at the Moody Center.

It is still uncertain, though, whether Booker, who led the team to two national semifinals in 2025 and 2026, will play in the next game.