University of Texas Athletics

By: Riley Neuheardt
Texas Media Relations
 
When Jatarie White was young, her father vowed to be hands-on and teach her everything she needed to know about basketball.
 
But the biggest basketball inspiration he provided to her came from a library book that gave her an unlikely role model for years to come.
 
"One day he went to the library and brought me back a book about Hakeem Olajuwon," White said. "And I read it and I just felt like he's somebody that I could relate to."
 
From that point, White knew she wanted to be a player who, like Olajuwon, created her own moves on the court. Although White was too young to have seen the two-time NBA Champion play and admits to only watching his highlights on YouTube, she was inspired to become just as dominant of a post player.
 
The Charlotte, N.C., native's talent on the court led her to McDonald's All-American honors and a scholarship to the University of South Carolina in 2014. At South Carolina, she played 52 games over two seasons, averaging 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in limited duty.
 
But White said she still felt like she needed a change to grow and reach her potential. She wanted somewhere to have a new start, and The University of Texas quickly stood out as that place.
 
"I was aware of the players and the coaches, and I knew that they were going to push me to be the best that I could be," White said. "And I just wanted something where people would believe in me."
 
She was inspired that Texas had a vision for its program - to win a national championship, among other goals – and she wanted to be part of that for her junior and senior seasons.
 
After sitting out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA transfer rules, White is looking to make her impact as a post presence for Texas this season.
 
The coaching staff, including Associate Head Coach Tina Thompson, believes that White brings a new element to the Longhorns' roster.
 
"Although we had good post play last year, we weren't very physical in the post, and we didn't dominate the inside game," Thompson said. "I think that Jatarie is going to bring that aspect to our game in a sense that she takes up a lot of space but she's also not afraid to get in there and mix it up."
 
Getting into games will be a welcomed change for White after her play last season was limited to just practicing with the team.
 
"It was really hard," White said. "I felt like I was a part, but I wasn't. I'm participating in practice, I'm helping my teammates get better, but at the same time, I'm not helping them win games."
 
The time away from games taught White plenty about herself on and off the court. She said sitting for a year allowed her to build her confidence and push her boundaries past just the skills that came naturally to her.
 
"In games, you're scared of messing up, but in practice they say, 'Just do stuff that's out of the norm so when you get in the game you'll know what you can do,'" White said.
 
White looks forward to getting her new start with Texas during games, but her presence may be felt most by her teammates. She said she wants to bring consistency and physicality to her position to open up opportunities for her teammates. She said that when her teammates score, it's better than when she does.
 
"She doesn't shy away from the physicality and I think that's just something that any coach would love to have on their team," said Thompson. "So now having her be able to play is going to make a lot of jobs easier on our team and just kind of open up a lot for our other players."
 
As she starts in her long-awaited role with Texas, White already knows the kind of player she wants to be. Much like Olajuwon, White wants to leave a legacy as a player who uses her skills to bring something special to her position.
 
"I just want to be remembered as that physical post player that kind of brings the whole team together," White said. "Being able to pass and shoot and create her own shots."