FORT WORTH
Some sisters might get to play Division I basketball at the same time, fewer will get to do it at major college powerhouses, and fewer yet will ever get the chance to play in the Sweet 16 only 25 minutes from where they grew up.
However, that’s the opportunity in front of sisters Sarah and Rebekah Graves, who played at Keller High School, are now at Texas and Louisville, respectively, and will take the court Saturday at Dickies Arena. The No. 1-seeded Longhorns (33-3) will meet No. 5 Kentucky (25-10) at 2 p.m. after the No. 3 Cardinals (29-7) try to knock off No. 2 Michigan (27-6) at 11:30 a.m.
If the sisters’ teams win, they will face off for a spot in the Final Four at 6 p.m. Monday at Dickies.
Despite the unlikeliness of it happening, Sarah Graves, a senior, said she wasn’t surprised about the family reunion on this side of the bracket.
Texas guard Sarah Graves (left) celebrates with guard Rori Harmon after beating Missouri State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 20, 2026, at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Ronald Cortes Getty Images
“I had a strange gut feeling it was gonna happen,” she said. “I have no idea why I texted her. I was like, ‘I bet you’re gonna be in Fort Worth.’ And so when it happened, it wasn’t even a surprise.”
She shared a moment with her redshirt freshman sister before practice Friday and acknowledged how lucky she was to be in this position.
“I went out and gave her a hug before our practice,” Sarah said. “So it was just really sentimental. I started tearing up a little bit. It’s just such a family moment in full circle to come back to our hometown and see everyone’s support. I’m excited to see that tomorrow, because hopefully our entire high school comes out and all of our friends, and it’ll be like a family gathering — a little bit less competitive, but, yeah, sentimental. So lucky.”
Their high school coach at Keller, Kate Goldberg, said she was excited to see them play in person.
“The one thing that they have in common is just their hard work,” she said. “They’re exactly what happens when toughness meets opportunity, both of them. Their development wasn’t linear. It was both of them showing up every day. They always did the hard things when no one was watching, and obviously it paid off. You know that they’re the only two players that have ever beaten me to a gym in my 21 years of coaching.”
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Keller guard Sarah Graves (1) crosses midcourt in front of Timber Creek guard Mackenzee Jones in the second half of a District 4-6A game Jan. 28, 2021, at Keller High School. Keller defeated Timber Creek 56-49. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
Goldberg also called them foundational to the program she has built at Keller.
“Their hard work, their extra work, set a standard of excellence,” Goldberg said. “With Sarah, we went to the regional semifinals during the COVID year. With Rebecca, we went to the regional semifinal two years after that. You don’t just do that on a whim. You do that built on a foundation of kids that work hard, that do things right, that put in extra time.”
Both sisters still give back to the program and have given lessons to some of the current Keller players. Rebekah and Sarah used to arrived around 5 a.m. on Saturdays for practice, and the younger Graves reflected on what it meant to be called the cornerstone of a program.
Louisville guard Rebekah Graves celebrates during a game against Pittsburgh on Jan. 11, 2026, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Taris Smith Louisville Athletics
“That’s awesome. I always loved Coach Goldberg,” Rebekah said. “She always poured a bunch into me and Sarah anytime we wanted to stay after school or go early on Saturday mornings. She was always there helping us out. So she definitely made it possible for us to have that type of commitment.”
Sarah Graves echoed the comments from Rebekah about Goldberg.
“It means everything, because she saw me on C-team when I was really, really bad at basketball, and she was one that had the faith that put me on varsity sophomore year,” Sarah said. “So nothing in my life is possible without Kate Goldberg. So for her to give me credit, and for her to say I’m the cornerstone of her program, it means a lot.”
The elder Graves pushed her sister during the two high school seasons they played together, and after she graduated, Rebekah said she realized she had to keep pushing herself even harder. She linked her work ethic to her parents and her faith, saying God calls people to work hard.
Louisville guard Rebekah Graves during a game against Bellarmine on Nov. 30, 2025, at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Taris Smith Louisville Athletics
Rebekah Graves talked about what she has learned in her second season after recovering from an Achilles injury.
“I was redshirt all last year, so I was booted and just physically challenged last year,” she said. “So I was there mentally, was able to watch a lot. But I would say the most growth I’ve gotten is definitely physically, and I’m still struggling with that for sure. Coming back from an injury is definitely really hard.”
It remains to be seen how much the sisters will play this weekend. Sarah Graves averaged 1.4 points in 18 games this season (4.7 minutes per game), while Rebekah averaged 1.7 points in 17 games this season (6.2 minutes).
Sarah has become a fan favorite who energizes the fans and her teammates when she does get on the court. She has scored in both NCAA Tournament games so far. Rebekah played in Louisville’s NCAA opener and didn’t score.
I don’t take this crowd for granted… the @UTAustin family has changed my life!!
I owe so much to EVERY person who has encouraged me, commented, or cheered on our team. Working hard everyday to make you proud!! Thank you all ❤️ https://t.co/iugVicUzDw
— Sarah Graves (@sarahkgraves) March 21, 2026
Sarah Graves said that if the sisters happen to play in the Elite Eight, there will be no prisoners taken.
“It’s war,” she said. “I hope she wins all the way up until us, but, yeah, it’s not fun and games. There’s no family here, it’s basketball, it’s competitive. I’m excited.”
As both sisters prepare for their Sweet 16 showdowns, one thing was abundantly clear: There will be some extra jubilation inside Dickies Arena on Saturday.
“Just pure joy. That’s all I can say,” Sarah Graves said. “I mean, I’m just gonna look into the crowd. Hopefully I don’t start crying because of the sentimental moment. I’m so excited to be here, and we worked so hard all year long, for my entire life, really, to get to March Madness, and so it’s the best time to be alive.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 2:58 PM.
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Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.