'One more time': Katie Ferrell makes most of season reunited with Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich

Krista Gerlich had heard about that team from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Led by a standout fifth-grader, the group was one of the best in the country.

Gerlich met the superstar and her family at the airport en route to a basketball tournament where Gerlich's bunch from around Canyon would face the touted Metroplex squad.

Little did Gerlich know she'd be coaching that same do-it-all player more than a decade later.

Even back then, Katie Ferrell was a versatile hustler that has made her Texas Tech's "glue" person. Her consistency on the court matches the individuality "Big Kat" has maintained throughout the journey that brought her to Lubbock for her final season.

"Oh, she was a stud," Gerlich said of elementary-school Ferrell. "She was the best one on their team. She wore her hair just like she wears it now. She was pretty big. For fifth-graders, she was one of the biggest ones, but she was the point guard. She could handle like crazy and could really, really pass it. … You could tell immediately that she was going to be really good."

Yet, as a high-school senior, Ferrell didn't know if college basketball was in her future. Her recruitment picked up after winning the Class 6A state championship with Plano in 2018, but she was still unsure if that was the path to take. Then she visited with Gerlich, who was leading the program at Texas-Arlington, where she finally "fit."

"I could tell it was a family atmosphere," Ferrell said. "They cared about you more than the sport of basketball. They cared about your success off the court, who you're going to become later in life."

It turns out Ferrell became a Lady Raider, just like Gerlich.

Joining the family

Gerlich took over as Texas Tech's head coach in August 2020. It was too late in the year to bring Ferrell or any others from UTA, but Gerlich kept up with her former players. Gerlich said she was proud the group got to realize the "vision" she laid out there with an NCAA Tournament berth last season. The 14th-seed Lady Mavericks held a lead over Iowa State late in the third quarter before bowing out 78-71.

Ferrell posted six points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the near-upset first round matchup. It's the type of stat line most often associated with the 6-foot-1 forward — a little bit of everything to go with the actions that don't show up in a box score.

It's not the glamorous lifestyle of a high-scorer, but it suits Ferrell to a double-T.

"I've always been just like more so the glue player of a team," Ferrell said. "The down and dirty, loose balls, rebounds, whatever it might be. I just try to find the spot in a game where I can help the most. … I don't care about the glitz and the glamour. At the end of the day, I'm just a hooper. A lot of people, I think they lose sight of that. They want to go to the biggest school, they want the glory, they want the hype and everything. At the end of the day, I'm just a hooper, and that's what I do."

Gerlich said it's rare to find a player with Ferrell's selfless approach. The coach added Ferrell "breathes confidence" into her teammates, whom each have a personalized nickname from the forward.

It's no surprise Gerlich pounced when she saw Ferrell's name in the transfer portal. Like high school, Ferrell decided late in the process she would see what's out there. She had resigned to the fact her playing days could be over.

In June her former coach came calling.

"I was like, 'Girl, you can work the rest of your life,'" Gerlich said. "'Let's do this one more time.'"

One last ride

Ferrell arrived in West Texas and took to her teammates like old friends. Ferrell's infectious personality helped.

"Within the first week everybody loved her," Gerlich said, "because she's just so funny. She's outgoing. She's not afraid to talk to you. She gets to know her teammates as well. So yeah, instant attraction."

It's not a feeling that goes away, either. Gerlich said the bonds are authentic, just like Ferrell's personality. The coach called Ferrell "one of a kind" and a "truth-teller."

"People know that her love is real," Gerlich said, "and it's unconditional."

Ferrell is wrapping up her lone run in red and black with her best offensive production of the season. She's averaged 11.7 points over the past three games, chipping in with her usual rebounds and assists.

She'll get one more game in front of the Tech faithful, whom she called loyal and supportive. The Wednesday matchup against TCU will be a special occasion, but not one for tears.

"For me, it's not necessarily like a sad moment," Ferrell said. "It's just more of something you celebrate, that I've had a career that I've had and met the people that I've had, and I'm so thankful for it. I think that's where it kind of gets emotional, but I'm not sad that it's over. I'm just happy that it happened."

TCU at Texas Tech

Big 12 women's basketball

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: United Supermarkets Arena

Records: TCU 7-20, 1-15; Texas Tech 17-12, 5-11

Radio: 107.7 FM

Live stream: ESPN+

Coverage: Follow @cmsilvajr on Twitter for live updates, with postgame analysis at lubbockonline.com.

Big 12 standings

School Conference Overall

Texas 13-4, 22-8

Oklahoma 12-4, 22-5

Iowa State 10-6, 18-8

Oklahoma State 10-6, 20-8

Baylor 10-7, 19-10

West Virginia 8-8, 17-10

Kansas 7-9, 17-10

Texas Tech 5-11, 17-12

Kansas State 5-11, 16-13

TCU 1-15, 7-20

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Katie Ferrell makes most of season reunited with Texas Tech coach Krista Gerlich