CINCINNATI — Two former Greater Cincinnati high school star basketball players will help represent the University of Texas in the Women’s Basketball Final Four Friday night in Tampa.
Senior guard Laila Phelia, a 2021 Mount Notre Dame graduate, and junior center Kyla Oldacre, a 2022 Mason graduate, have contributed to the Longhorns' first Final Four appearance since 2003.
Texas (35-3) plays South Carolina (34-3) at 7 p.m. Friday in Tampa. The game will be televised on ESPN.
The winner plays either UConn (35-3) or UCLA (34-2) in the national championship game at 3 p.m. Sunday (ABC/ESPN).
The 6-foot-6 Oldacre is in her first season with Texas after being at Miami (Fla.) the past two years. She scored nine points Monday night as Texas defeated TCU 58-47 to advance to its fourth Final Four in program history.
Oldacre, a 2022 McDonald’s All-American, earned a memorable highlight in the fourth quarter Monday night. She stole an inbound pass, drove to the rim and finished with a layup while drawing a foul.
“It’s been awesome to watch her all season,” Mason girls basketball coach Gideon Dudgeon said. “Just a testament to her character and her drive. Her impact goes far above stats.”
Dudgeon said he connected with Oldacre a few weeks ago but knows she has been focused on this NCAA Tournament run with the Longhorns.
Dudgeon said Oldacre, who averages nine points and six rebounds, raises the competitiveness of her teammates in each game. Oldacre, a Division I all-state player as a Mason senior, helped the Comets reach the 2022 Division I state final.
“She just makes a huge impact whenever she’s on the court,” Dudgeon said.
Phelia averages 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds this season. She was named All-Big Ten first team by the coaches and the media while at Michigan during the 2023-24 season.
Phelia won two state titles at MND (2019, 2021) and completed her high school career with the Cougars on a 72-game win streak.
“It’s such a special experience for our program and our alums to be able to turn on ESPN and see Laila and the rest of the local connections on that biggest stage,” MND basketball coach Drew Fladung said. “It sets the standard for what our current and future athletes strive to get to.”
