By Cassie Logan | @c4ssielogan

ARLINGTON, Texas - When the lights fade and screaming fans are long gone, Brooke Alexander knows she won't be standing alone staring back at a lifeless, hollow arena.

Both on and off the court, the UT Arlington women's basketball team is a family - a unit - and a reflection of what makes this program so rare.

Alexander, a sophomore transfer from Lynchburg, Virginia's Liberty University, needed just four months to embrace the Lady Maverick way and its traditions of passion, purpose and pride.

"At the end of the day, if basketball is taken from you, you want to know that you could make this a home," Alexander said. "I think all Division I schools are missing what we have here: trust, family atmosphere and relationships. It's what I needed."

The newcomer is returning to her comfort zone as a native of Frisco, Texas, but won't see playing time this season due to NCAA transfer rules. Despite the lost year, Alexander still has three remaining as an active member on the roster.

The 6-foot-0 guard committed to Liberty over interest from SEC, Pac 12 and Big 12 powers because of its missions program and storied success on the court. The Flames had punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament 16 of the last 19 seasons prior to her arrival, and her family pushed the move up north.

However, being 1,800 miles away from home wasn't ideal, so Alexander reconnected with UTA without any hesitation to leave a guaranteed position and life in the spotlight. After all, she would be coming home to family and a familiar face in UT Arlington coach Krista Gerlich, who offered Alexander her first Division I scholarship.

"She's been my mentor since I was a sophomore in high school," Alexander said. "I wouldn't have ever imagined playing at UTA. I had always seen myself at a high-major program. The dream was to go to UT and that's what was expected of me, but what really drew me to Coach Gerlich was that she was authentic."

When Alexander settled in, she immediately felt at ease with UTA's family-oriented philosophy. Her relationships with her teammates are already far deeper than those at her previous university, and it's comforting to know she will be missed when the team is traveling.

Senior Allyson Te'o, the team's only three-year veteran, said the squad believes the word family stands for, "forget about me, I love you." It's not only the coaches; it's the players themselves that truly believe their unshakable bond separates UTA from other programs.

"The relationship after the four years is what we're aiming for," Gerlich said. "Our kids can see that and they find value in that early in their career and recruiting process."

In her first season, Alexander wants not only build her physical game, but support the Lady Mavs and be a source for mental guidance. Before she could carry that weight on her shoulders, the newcomer had to first mature and grow through something bigger than basketball.

Prior to attending Liberty, Alexander led the remodel of the Prestonwood Christian Academy women's basketball program. The team had never made it past the first round of playoffs, much less experienced any postseason magic, until her sophomore season commenced a rewrite of the school's history.

That year, the Lions reached the state tournament and as a junior, Alexander gifted Prestonwood its first-ever championship title on what she now remembers as the best day of her life.

The experience that molded her into who she is today, though, didn't stem from the postgame celebration or the feeling of that trophy held high in the air. Instead, she found herself more impacted by her thoughts after failing to reclaim the title the following year.

"We went back to the championship that next year and in the fourth quarter we lost it," Alexander said. "That was one of the worst days of my life. That put a chip on my shoulder from when I entered into college."

After a sleepless night, Alexander and a teammate traveled to Mexico for a mission trip, still defeated and heartbroken. But that day taught her that basketball, and any other sport, isn't who players are. It's just what they do.

It was her faith that ensured her journey was left to be traveled by a higher power, which she believes will also help her through the frustrations of sitting the bench this season.

"I find my purpose in something bigger than basketball and my performance," Alexander said. "That's why having to sit out allows me to focus so much more on my relationship with myself and Christ.

"The life of a student-athlete is hard. Falling back on my faith is what gets me through it."