Mizzou women's basketball, Harper finding 'comfort' ahead of second season together

Missouri missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the six seasons before Harper’s arrival, and her debut in 2025-26 was no different. Harper did, however, bring the Tigers to a .500 record on the season and to four Southeastern Conference wins for the first time since 2023-24. 

“I really do believe it takes a full calendar year to understand all the workings at a university — your offseason, preseason, summer, your season, tournament play, how things are done,” Harper said at SEC Tipoff on Wednesday. “The word that I would like to use is 'comfort'. There is just a better comfort now because we know what to expect, we know what it's going to look like.”

Harper being young in her Missouri career but tenured as a collegiate coach is what makes her such an interesting fit with her young roster.

She hit the high school scene hard and brought in five freshmen to construct her roster around: Four-star guard Natalya Hodge, four-star forward Khloe Ford, four-star guard Jada Maples, three-star forward Cecilie Brandimore and three-star forward Ellie Muller.

Ford won four consecutive state championships with Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama.

“Coming from Hoover, winning those state championships, playing for (coach Krystle Johnson), she is very prepared,” Harper said. “Every freshman comes in at a different level in terms of their preparation and their experience. She's going to have as good of a head start as any freshman that we've coached. She's ready.”

Sophomores McKenzie Mathurin and Nevaeh Caffey make up two-thirds of Missouri’s transfer class. One trait of Harper’s stuck out to Mathurin to help reel her in to Columbia.

“I’m seeing such a competitive spirit,” Mathurin said. “We all want to win so badly, and so much, so she brings that every day to practice.”

Harper, now well into her third decade as a head coach, will use lessons from the early phases of her career to bring along her young Tigers this season.

“It does seem like an eternity, a lifetime ago, that I started coaching,” Harper said. … “I had no idea what I didn't know. I learned a lot on the fly. I learned how to be a coach from some of my first players.

“But the game has changed. I think the way we coach has changed. I don't think you have to change your philosophy and your beliefs, but man, you better figure out how to coach this generation. I think that changes. There's always new techniques and new strategies on the court that we learn as coaches.”

What’s new for ‘True Tiger’ Grace Slaughter

Luckily for Harper, she’ll have a pillar of consistency to depend on in wake of surrounding change. Face of the program Grace Slaughter is set to begin her fourth season donning Black and Gold. She was recruited by and played her first two seasons under former MU coach Robin Pingeton. 

She put up her best statistical season to date, averaging 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, career highs across the board. She, too, while finding comfort alongside Harper, is stepping outside her comfort zone in search of reaching new heights.

“One of the biggest challenges that we have given her is to have a bigger voice on the team,” Harper said. “She's extremely respected as an athlete. She works so hard. She has great habits. But she was quiet.

“I love that she has taken on this new vocal leadership role. Her teammates love it. I think they're benefiting right now from Grace's leadership.”

Slaughter’s newfound voice, Harper’s recruiting and a young group driven by hunger helps to give Missouri an intriguing shot at returning to being competitive in a grueling conference.

“Pressure is increased,” Slaughter said. “Having those expectations for what she expects out of practice and game days — you know (how) competitive she is.”

Missouri, with increased pressure and a chance to live up to it, begins its regular season by hosting Howard at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at Mizzou Arena.