On Sunday evening, Amina Muhammad will try to make sure that things don’t end where they all began.
Muhammad is a key reserve and senior forward for an Oregon women’s basketball team that’s set to meet Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks and Longhorns will play at 5 p.m. at Moody Center.
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Moody Center is also the site of Muhammad’s collegiate debut. But back on Nov. 11, 2022, she was playing for Texas, with whom she signed coming out of high school.
“It feels great (to be back),” Muhammad said this weekend. “I love Austin. I love the community. I love the atmosphere. I was really happy to be back home in Texas, for sure, especially in Austin.”
Oregon forward Amina Muhammad (5) defends Virginia Tech forward Kilah Freelon (0) during a first round game of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament held at the Moody Center on March 20, 2026 in Austin.
Scott Wachter/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
A Texas native, Muhammad spent her first two years with the Longhorns. The versatile defender played in all 36 of UT’s games as a freshman. During her sophomore season, she started 20 times for the Longhorns’ Elite Eight qualifier.
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But after the Longhorns’ 2023-24 campaign ended, Muhammad entered the transfer portal and moved on to Oregon. Two years later, she declined to delve into the specifics about her decision to leave Texas. She just said she was looking for something different and left it at that.
Throughout this week, both Muhammad and members of the UT program have said the right things about her return to Austin. Texas coach Vic Schaefer said he was glad that Muhammad found a home in Oregon. Point guard Rori Harmon expressed that she misses Muhammad and made sure to wave at her former teammate while Oregon was playing Virginia Tech in a first-round game Friday.
“I did wave back, and I do keep up with them,” Muhammad said. “I’m still cool with a couple of them, Maddie (Booker) and then Sarah (Graves), and Rori, of course. I’m happy for them, happy for everything they’ve done, wish them nothing but the best and I’m excited to play them.”
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Oregon forward Amina Muhammad (5) shoots over Virginia Tech guard Carleigh Wenzel (1) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026.
Eric Gay/Associated Press
Amina Muhammad helped lead Oregon to an NCAA Tournament win in 2025
Muhammad hails from DeSoto, so it took some time for the Texas product to acclimate after moving out west. “I didn’t know that it would rain every day,” she said.
On the court, Muhammad quickly made an impact. She averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds as a junior, and Oregon coach Kelly Graves said the Ducks may not have beaten Vanderbilt in the NCAA Tournament had Muhammad not grabbed an offensive rebound in the waning seconds of overtime.
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Muhammad started 24 times last season, but she had mostly played a complementary role this year since sophomore Ehis Etute had emerged at her position. The 6-foot-4 Muhammad is averaging 3.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 11.4 minutes.
“She means a lot to this program, both on and off the court,” Oregon point guard Katie Fiso said. “She just brings that energy, that focus. She’s been at the next level for March Madness, she’s been in the later rounds. So she has that type of experience. Just her rebounding ability, her scoring ability, it’s great. I’m happy to have her on my side.”
Graves said that he likens Muhammad to a “college pro. She comes every day, works hard. You don’t notice her all the time. She just does her job.”
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“I think on this kind of stage, having played for Vic and having played for me, we’re not the easiest guys to play for, she’s going to be ready for this moment,” Graves continued. “We talk about X-factors, you need your stars to produce for the most part. But I’ve been doing this long enough to know that there’s always that one or two players that step up in these kinds of moments that you may or may not have expected and I think Amina could be one of those.”
Texas Longhorns forward Amina Muhammad (14) guards Drexel Dragons forward Chloe Hodges (5) as Texas takes on the Drexel Dragons in round one of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at the Moody Center in Austin Friday, March 22, 2024.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman
Amina Muhammad isn’t the first ex-Longhorn to play Texas this season
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Muhammad contributed seven points and three rebounds as Oregon beat Virginia Tech by 10 points. Two days later, she estimated that she’ll have 10 family members in the Moody Center stands as the eighth-seeded Ducks try to upset Texas, which is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Muhammad will be the third former Longhorn that Texas has faced this season. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, who was Muhammad’s classmate at Texas, scored 11 points for Vanderbilt in the Commodores’ 86-70 win over UT in February. Texas went 2-0 against Ole Miss and Latasha Lattimore, who played in Austin during the 2021-22 season.