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Will Stephanie Okechukwu play this season? Texas Tech coach gives outlook
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- Will Stephanie Okechukwu play this season? Texas Tech coach gives outlook
Texas Tech fans may have to wait a bit longer to see Stephanie Okechukwu suit up for the women's basketball team .
Krista Gerlich said it's unlikely the 7-foot-1 mid-year transfer will gain her initial eligibility this season.
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"It's kind of long and complicated," Gerlich said after Tuesday's win over Kansas . "I would say that she's not going to play this year because of just transcript issues, as far as making her a four-year transfer. If she's a four-year transfer, she can't be eligible at semester.
"We're doing some things to manage that and maybe get a waiver here or there. But at this point, to me, it's not really fair to her to try to get five games out of her, or something like that, especially because of the minutes that she probably would play."
Texas Tech's Stephanie Okechukwu, from left, Mariam Sanogo and Julie Nekolna react after a play against Kansas in a Big 12 women's basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Lady Raiders (23-3, 10-3) have five games remaining before the postseason, which should include the program's first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2012-13 campaign. They already have their most wins since '04-05.
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Okechukwu, believed to be the tallest player on a roster in women's college basketball history, arrived in Lubbock on Jan. 1 after officially signing in October. The NCAA was reviewing her eligibility, and Tech officials previously thought she would play this season.
It didn't take long for the Nigeria native to endear herself to teammates and staff.
"She's been a part of this team since the second she stepped off the airplane when she landed," teammate Bailey Maupin said Tuesday. "She does a great job of being supportive, of cheering for us, of staying locked in on the bench. She'll call out plays. She'll help echo things. I'm super happy that she's here, super happy that we finally got her here."
More: Texas Tech women's basketball holds off Kansas for third-straight win
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Gerlich said Okechukwu has embraced the team, too.
"One of my favorite clips of her is after the TCU win," Gerlich said. "She is jumping up and down on the court with all the girls, as if she has been on this ride the entire time. As if she was on the bench last year when we got beat by them. She's so happy to be a part of a program, to be a part of a team, to have sisters."
Okechukwu has been practicing with Tech, and Gerlich said the early returns have been promising.
"She is doing some things in our practice that is getting a lot of attention," Gerlich said. "Obviously (not) just from her teammates but from coaches. She's working extremely hard in her individual workouts and in the weight room, and even in the classroom. And it's just all so new to her, but she has a chance to be really special.
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"Obviously we know that she's special because of her physical attributes, right? But she has a chance to be really special because of her skillset, too."
Gerlich said she expects "several years" of Okechukwu in a Lady Raiders uniform. The coach added the timing wouldn't be right for her to play this season, with a team that has started the same lineup in all but one game.
"This team is doing such a great job, chemistry-wise and together," Gerlich said, "that I'm not sure it's fair to them either. We're still working on things, but I don't look to play her this year. I think that needs to be said so that people can quit asking, or whatever.
"But I can say that she will play in the fall as a Lady Raider."
Texas Tech's Stephanie Okechukwu, center, listens during a huddle against Kansas in a Big 12 women's basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, at United Supermarkets Arena.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Will Stephanie Okechukwu play this year? Texas Tech coach gives outlook
