Sarah Graves does not vividly recall the moment she first checked in as a Texas women\u2019s basketball player.<\/p>\n
It came on March 4, 2023, when the then-freshman guard played the last minute of the Big 12 regular season title-clinching win at Kansas State.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing, looking back, that now I realize was I didn\u2019t even have my name on the back of my jersey,\u201d Graves said. \u201cI was so present in the moment that I don\u2019t even remember playing or really considering going into that game. \u2026 I genuinely have no memory of it, which is hilarious now.\u201d<\/p>\n
For years, the appearance seemed to be relevant in her personal story solely as her debut. Building a reputation for herself in the program with camaraderie-raising energy and behind-the-scenes effort, her on-court performance was never what defined her importance.<\/p>\n
But that moment became one of greater significance this past February when head coach Vic Schaefer brought it to light in relation to getting Graves \u2014 now on scholarship and a beloved player by the Texas fanbase \u2014 a fifth season in college.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200b\u200bShe\u2019s what\u2019s right about college athletics, and you just don\u2019t find it in today\u2019s climate,\u201d Schaefer said following the Senior Night win over Mississippi State. \u201cI have a great deal of admiration and respect for her. She works just as hard as anybody else on our team, and yet it doesn\u2019t deter her \u2026 whether she plays a minute or she doesn\u2019t. \u2026 I\u2019ll do my best to try to find a way to convince the NCAA to give her another year with playing one minute in the last game of the regular season three or four years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graves said the NCAA petition process to regain a year of eligibility was straightforward because \u201cthere was not even a debate if it was a season of competition.\u201d But her decision whether to ultimately use it was not as easy, taking her months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Early in her time at Texas, staying five years on campus seemed like a distant possibility for Graves. Academically, she had the potential to graduate early due to earned credits in high school. Even after walking onto the women\u2019s basketball team, the redshirting process was unfamiliar territory, as she said no one in her family played sports before her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet, Graves intentionally slowed down her degree progress so she could remain a Longhorn for four years. When associate coach Elena Lovato mentioned a fifth year as an opportunity, she chose to consider it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Schaefer\u2019s public comments contributed to Graves\u2019 decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of coaches wouldn\u2019t necessarily see the value in having a Sarah Graves on the team, but him not only voicing that to me privately every single year that I\u2019ve been here, but also willing to say that publicly and take a stand on it, that meant a lot to me, just showing that he values something more than on-the-court performance,\u201d Graves said.<\/p>\n