After Texas women’s basketball lost starting center Kyla Oldacre and forward Justice Carlton to graduation and the transfer portal over the offseason, head coach Vic Schaefer expects senior forward Breya Cunningham to step into a much bigger role this season.
Cunningham played in 39 games last season, averaging 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game. Schaefer said he wants her to get into shape to play about 30 minutes a game this year.
“Getting in better shape to be able to sustain that high level of play for 30 minutes, and probably just being more confident in myself,” Cunningham said. “Knowing that my team needs me, my team wants me to be out on the floor. So, playing strong, playing hard and giving it my all for those whole 30 minutes.”
At 6 feet 4 inches, Cunningham is the second-tallest player on the team to junior center Lovisa Asbrink Hose and will be a force down under for the aggressive style of play Schaefer wants this season.
Along with her on-court performance, Cunningham has stepped into a vocal leadership role alongside senior forward Madison Booker and junior guard Bryanna Preston. With five freshmen joining the Longhorns, those veteran leaders are trying to translate what they’ve learned at Texas to them.
“I think intensity is new to the young faces from high school. That intensity is definitely different from college,” Booker said. “I think that’s really our main teaching, our main trait that we’re trying to get them to understand is what intensity looks like, what playing hard looks like, what giving your all looks like, and for them to understand when you practice these things in the games, it will come extremely easy.”
Intensity and toughness have been a recurring theme. For a team that was fifth in the Southeastern Conference in offensive rebounds last season, Cunningham looks to continue the trend of dominating the board and creating extra opportunities for her team.
When asked about Cunningham’s strength, Schaefer praised her through an interesting hypothetical.
“If I have to get cornered in a back alley somewhere, I want Breya Cunningham,” Schaefer said. “I love her toughness, her competitive spirit. She’ll get down there and fight with you a little bit, and so I just got to teach her to fight within some rules.”
Those rules did elude Cunningham at times last season, fouling out of five games for Texas. While conditioning and a bigger role will contribute towards Schaefer’s goals for Cunningham, discipline may be the determining factor.
She’ll get her first test in a scrimmage game on Monday against UConn and reigning National Player of the Year, junior forward Sarah Strong. The Huskies’ identity is playing through their frontcourt, putting Cunningham at the front and center of defensive attention.
“I think it’s a great test for us, playing against UConn, our first game as a team,” Cunningham said. “I think it’s going to really challenge us. It’s going to push us. It’s going to give us some real adversity early in the season. Really tell us who we are early and what we need to work on.”
