Jayda Clark Announces Herself in the Game That Demanded It

A 24-point eruption from a sophomore Australian import turns a potential crisis — Madison Booker's injury exit — into a statement game for No. 6 Texas.

The test for any deep roster isn't whether it can win when healthy. It's what happens when the best player goes down with 90 seconds left in the first half and the second half still has to be played. On Wednesday night at Moody Center, No. 6 Texas answered that question emphatically. Madison Booker — the All-American forward, the engine of both ends of the floor — landed hard on her back after a driving foul and did not return. She'd already put up nine first-half points, helping Texas build a 45-31 cushion over a South Dakota State team that made the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The cushion could have evaporated. It didn't. Jayda Clark, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Australia, went 6-for-6 in the third quarter — two threes, a fastbreak finish, an assist, and all 10 minutes of floor time. Her 14 third-quarter points blew a 14-point lead open to 25. The final line: 24 points on what Vic Schaefer described as a continuation of a perfect shootaround. "Usually that's the kiss of death," Schaefer said. "But she brought it with her to the game tonight." Texas outscored the Jackrabbits by 16 in the second half without Booker. Zya Vann added 14 points. Bryanna Preston and Breya Cunningham each reached double figures. The defense forced 21 turnovers and converted them into 28 points. South Dakota State's eight made threes were the only real bright spot for the visitors in a 93-63 final. The broader picture is striking: Texas is 3-0, has never trailed this season, and has now demonstrated that it can absorb the loss of its most important player mid-game without flinching. The Booker injury is the obvious cloud — no specifics have been released, only that she likely wouldn't return Wednesday. Everything about Texas's weekend date with Tarleton State depends on that update. Clark's performance is the kind of game that reframes a player's trajectory. She's shown flashes all year, per Schaefer, but a perfect shooting quarter in a meaningful spot — against an NCAA Tournament team, with the team's star watching from the sideline — is different from preseason promise. "When she went down, the first thing through my mind was, okay, let's step it up," Clark said of Booker's exit. She did exactly that. Texas plays Tarleton State Saturday at Moody Center. The Booker injury timeline will dictate how much this game matters beyond a tuneup, but the depth chart just got a lot more interesting regardless.