.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
Texas women's basketball's roster is teeming with headliners. All-American-caliber talent like Madison Booker and Rori Harmon have helped push the team to new heights over the years, carrying the program to back-to-back Final Four appearances.
And yet, no player taking part in the Elite Eight produced pyrotechnics quite like Sarah Graves, whose two-pointer in the game's dying moments left the crowd in shock.
Graves' name rings across the Longhorns' program. Here's what you need to know about the walk-on guard who has shone throughout March Madness.
MORE: How Kevin Durant inspired Madison Booker's jersey number, lethal mid-range shooting
Who is Sarah Graves?
Graves is a senior walk-on who plays for Texas women's basketball. The Fort Worth native featured sparingly in Vic Schaefer's setup over the years, making just 11 appearances across her sophomore and junior seasons.
Despite this, Graves has served dutifully in her role on the Longhorns roster. She is as energetic as they come, adorning made triples with an assortment of different hand gestures. During practices, Graves' voice rises above the rest, serving as a soundscape as Schaefer's unit refines its tactics.
“There’s a hack to having infinite energy,” Graves told The Athletic, “and it’s just to stop keeping it for yourself.”
Graves entered March Madness with just seven made baskets on the season. She has collected another four in tournament play, scoring points in each of Texas' first four March Madness games.
Graves burst the roof off of her hometown floor when the Longhorns bested Michigan in the Elite Eight, sending the concourses into raptures after canning a long-range two-pointer in the game's waning moments. All Schaefer could do was kneel as the ball fell through the basket.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer's reaction after Sarah Graves' put the finishing touches vs. Michigan 🥶 pic.twitter.com/uWfQsmvk9C
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 31, 2026— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2026Why did Sarah Graves walk on to Texas?
Graves is one of just two walk-ons to ever play for Schaefer since he joined the program in 2020. She drew offers from low-level Division I programs but yearned to attend Texas' famed business school and major in finance, according to The Athletic.
Graves showed reverence for Schaefer's playbook, studying it throughout the summer before her freshman campaign.
"She had gone on film, watched film, knew the plays," Schaefer said. "So when she got here, when she went through a workout or tryout, she knew most of my playbook."
Over his six seasons with @TexasWBB, Vic Schaefer has let two walk-ons join his team. Today, he explained why senior guard Sarah Graves (and former UT guard Anissa Gutierrez) made the cut. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/iViHiUTLwx
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) February 20, 2026“She does the little things some people don’t want to do,” Schaefer added, according to The Athletic.
She was rewarded for her exploits, landing a coveted scholarship with the Longhorns in 2023.
MORE: Is Texas star Madison Booker related to Suns' Devin Booker?
Who are Sarah Graves' parents?
Graves' parents are John and Nicole Graves. Neither parent had much interest in basketball, spurning the court for other interests during their youth. That didn't stop Graves and her younger sister from traipsing atop the hardwood.
“When Sarah decided she fell in love with the game of basketball, she realized she was really far behind,” Nicole Graves told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“She started calculating, OK, I need to spend this many hours in the gym. I need to start learning these drills, and she, like, wrote her own little playbook. I think when she started, it kind of inspired her younger sister and so they just both got really into it, and from that moment on, she never, never once looked back.”
The Graves' family took center stage during the Sweet 16, capturing the camera's glare as Sarah strode to the charity stripe for a technical free throw.
Graves sank her first effort, sending her parents into a frenzy.
— Jeremy Rosenthal (@jeremyrosenthal) March 29, 2026Who is Sarah Graves sister?
Graves' sister is Rebekah Graves. She, too, is a hooper, turning out for Louisville.
Graves' sister is a redshirt freshman. Both have experienced their fair share of hardship over the years, explains Nicole.
“They both had to press through really hard hardships,” she told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Rebekah tore her Achilles, and Sarah had a stress fracture her sophomore year. So they both had to really work through those, like not getting minutes, having injuries, and still showing up with joy, with thanksgiving, pride in what they’re doing, helping their teammates in the middle of their setbacks. Watching them press through it’s been hard, and so I’m so incredibly proud of both of them sticking with it.”
John and Nicole were on double-duty during the Sweet 16, watching on as both the Longhorns and Cardinals competed from Dickies Arena. They were draped in a touching number, wearing t-shirts that bore both Sarah and Rebekah's jersey numbers.
You can’t script moments like this! @TexasWBB Sarah Graves
Rebekah Graves @LouisvilleWBB pic.twitter.com/FbJVLAJcGt
Sarah Graves season stats
Here's a look at Graves' numbers across her senior season:
- 1.5 points per game
- 0.7 rebounds per game
- 4.4 assists per game
- 0.1 steals per game
- 0.1 blocks per game
- 0.0 turnovers per game
- 37.5 percent field goal shooting
- 31.6 percent 3-point shooting
- 75.0 percent free throw shooting
English (US)