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Tarleton State University Athletics

UTAWBB_Dec29Preview
Avery Golden

Women's Basketball Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Women’s Basketball begins WAC play against UTA at EECU Center Monday

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Women's Basketball closes the 2025 calendar year with the beginning of Western Athletic Conference play, facing UT Arlington on Monday at 7 p.m. at the EECU Center. 

Fans can get discounted tickets for the game by using the promo code HOLIDAYBB. Tickets can be purchased online at TarletonSports.com/Tickets or by visiting the EECU Center Box Office on game day. 

Tarleton State opens WAC play against UT Arlington, a rematch of last season's conference semifinal. The Lady Mavs eliminated the Texans from the 2025 WAC Tournament.

The Texans have won four out of their last five games entering WAC play, including a win over defending WNIT champions Buffalo. Senior guard Gia Adams faces her former team, UTA, for the first time in a Texan uniform. She earned All-WAC honors in 2023-24 and is averaging 22.5 points per game and eight assists per game through her last two contests. 

Fans can watch the game ESPN+ and can also listen to Clayton Neville's radio call on Tarleton Sports Network.

PEAK PERFORMER
  • Tarleton State signed former All-WAC First Team player Gia Adams this past season. Adams currently leads the Texans in scoring and assists. She will face her former team, UT Arlington, for the first time in the Texans' WAC opener on Dec. 29. 
  • She has registered three 20-point games this season, including back-to-back 20+ point performances Dec. 19-20 in the ACU Christmas Classic. 
  • Adams was named to the ACU Christmas Classic All-Tournament Team, averaging 22.5 points and eight assists per game. 
  • Adams was named to the 2023-24 All-WAC First Team at UT Arlington before transferring to North Texas. The Cypress, Texas, native was the Texans' first transfer to sign with the Texans. 
  • Averaging 14.5 points per game in her junior season at UT Arlington, Adams led the Lady Mavs in scoring and was the third-leading scorer in the WAC during the 2023-24 season. The Dave Campbell's Honorable Mention All-Texas guard won four straight WAC Newcomer of the Week honors and registered six 20-point games in a UTA uniform. She dropped a season-high 30 points at CBU, the eventual 2024 WAC Champions.
  • Adams spent her first two seasons at Tennessee State and had one of the best seasons by a Tennessee State freshman in the program's history, averaging 12.9 points per game en route to winning the OVC Freshman of the Year award. 
BALLIN BRACKENS
  • Shadaisa Brackens earned her and the team's first weekly award of the season, being named Western Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week on Monday. 
  • Brackens nearly averaged a double-double this past week, averaging 14.5 points per game and nine rebounds per game in the ACU Christmas Classic. 
  • She notched her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Texans to a win over defending WNIT champions Buffalo. 
  • Brackens was one point shy of a career-high in Saturday's game against Montana, scoring 19 in the non-conference finale.
  • The former North Texas forward has been an immediate contributor in her first season with the Texans. Brackens has the most double-doubles on the team with five this season and currently leads Tarleton State in rebounding (91, 8.3 rebounds per game). 
  • Prior to her arrival in Stephenville, Brackens played 51 career games for North Texas and scored 143 points to go with 82 rebounds.
STUDENT-ATHLETES
  • The Texans get work done on the court and in the classroom. 
  • Women's Basketball posted a team GPA of 3.67 during the 2025 fall semester. It was the highest team GPA on record. 
  • Women's Basketball was one of six programs among Tarleton State Athletics to post new term GPA records. 
  • 12 student-athletes on the team posted a GPA of 3.5 or better. 
  • Every semester since Tarleton State reclassified to NCAA Division I, several programs have set new GPA records, and the Fall 2025 semester was no different. Six Texan programs in total set or tied new GPA records this past semester.
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Players Mentioned

Gia Adams

#13 Gia Adams

G
5' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Gia Adams

#13 Gia Adams

5' 7"
Senior
G