The Standard Has Changed: UTRGV Women’s Basketball Has Something to Prove

For years, UTRGV women’s basketball was trying to build toward a season like the one it just had.

Now comes a different challenge.

How do you follow the best season in program history?

The Vaqueros finished 21-14 last year, won a program-record 16 Southland Conference games and reached the second round of the WNIT.

That’s not something you simply forget about when a new season begins.

But it’s also not something you can count on happening again.

Head coach Lane Lord has plenty of returning experience, led by Chazlyn Dettor and Erin Maguire, who each started more than 30 games last season.

Dettor averaged 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman, showing flashes of becoming a major piece of UTRGV’s future. Now, with Charlotte O’Keefe gone, the sophomore has an opportunity to take on even more responsibility.

Maguire brings experience to the backcourt after averaging 8.2 points and 3.2 assists. Her leadership could be just as important as her production.

And don’t overlook Madison Huhn, another returning guard Lord has identified as a leader.

But this isn’t the same roster that made last season’s run.

Trinity Bane, a PSJA North graduate transferring from New Orleans, gives the Vaqueros a familiar Valley name to watch.

Jesslynn Jalomo arrives from Nicholls, while Kamryn McLaurin comes over from Houston Christian. All three already know what Southland basketball looks like.

That’s valuable, especially for a team trying to replace O’Keefe’s production and presence.

Lord believes this group will be bigger and more athletic. The question is how quickly those pieces come together.

UTRGV opens November 2 against Arlington Baptist before facing South Dakota and Kansas State on the road.

Diamond DITV Final Word

Last season changed the expectations for UTRGV women’s basketball.

Twenty-one wins and a postseason appearance shouldn’t automatically make this team a conference favorite. There’s still plenty to replace, and the Southland won’t be handing out victories because of what happened last year.

But with Dettor’s potential, Maguire’s experience and several intriguing newcomers, there’s reason to believe the Vaqueros can contend in the Southland again.

The question isn’t whether UTRGV can have another good season.

It’s whether this program is ready to make winning the expectation.

That’s what makes 2026-27 interesting.