The “portaling” season is about maintaining the balance of putting the last season behind everyone and building off it to improve the team. On April 17, UTA women’s basketball announced the signing of the Reynolds sisters — Mila, Amiyah and Kira — from South Bend, Indiana. Mila and Amiyah Reynolds, transfers from Purdue University, spent two years together at the school and were expecting to complete the trifecta after incoming freshman Kira Reynolds originally committed to the Boilermakers, too. However, all three ultimately decommitted and decided to bring their talents to Arlington. The Lady Mavericks are coming off a season where they made a Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship game appearance. Although falling short, the team received a bid to participate in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament that included a home win against University of the Incarnate Word. Head coach Shereka Wright said she believes the team’s success was a key piece in recruiting the trio, making the sisters want to buy into the program’s culture. Kira Reynolds highlighted the importance of playing collegiate basketball with her sisters, which UTA helped them do. “I’m a very family-oriented person. My whole entire family, we’re all very close,” she said. “My sisters are my best friends. So, when I went down to UTA, they are also family-oriented and had a very good, comfortable feel.” On Jan. 4, the highly-touted freshman recorded the first quintuple-double in Indiana history. Kira Reynolds recorded 14 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists, 11 steals and 10 blocks. The sisters each bring a unique style of play to the court. Mila Reynolds, a 6-foot-3-inch forward, can stretch the floor with her ability to “flat out shoot the ball,” Wright said. Wright is excited to see what she does for the team after dealing with injury a season ago. Kira Reynolds called Amiyah Reynolds, the middle sister, the captain of the trio, with her high basketball IQ. Wright called her the “midrange assassin,” a complement to Mila Reynolds’ shooting skills from behind the arc. Behind many sports families is a father who shares the limelight. Steve Reynolds is the man behind the sisters’ basketball acumen, having coached them in high school and hinted that he might join the Lady Mavericks coaching staff. “My dad, for the most part, taught me literally everything I know, including my sisters,” Kira Reynolds said. “Being able to go to this next level and have him there with me, as he’s been there with me the entire way, it just also made me feel very secure.” The signings are massive not only for the women’s basketball program, but for all of UTA athletics. In addition to the talent level the team has acquired on the court, portal signings of this magnitude could influence other players to transfer to Arlington. Wright said the Lady Mavericks will continue to add necessary pieces to complement the six returning players to help the team compete for championships. “I think this is probably the highest ranked student athletes that we’ve had here at UTA, and a lot of excitement around it,” she said. @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Behind the signage of logos, sponsors and partners on Globe Life Field’s outfield is Brian Nephew’s team. The Arlington native and lifelong Texas Rangers fan said he got lucky in landing his current position. As a UTA alumnus and vice president of partnerships for the Rangers, Nephew is a true American Dream City product. After starting in ticket sales almost a decade ago, Nephew now oversees the team’s day-to-day sales efforts and partnerships with nearly 200 brands, including Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, SeatGeek and Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company, who own the naming rights to the Rangers’ home ballpark. “I just fell in love with [baseball], probably just early on,” he said. “I just loved watching the Rangers growing up and turning on Sunday Night Baseball at home and watching all the pro teams, but specifically the Rangers.” He credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. It’s no secret what the 2023 World Series run meant for Rangers fans and the City of Arlington. Capturing its first championship in franchise history, the team ended its drought of being the MLB’s oldest organization without a title. Nephew called the championship run the best month of his life. “It was my professional and my personal career, my lives kind of crashing,” he said. “A decade with the team and being in Arlington my whole life, it was unbelievable.” The run has set even higher expectations for Nephew and the rest of the organization. “The easy way to put it is that the expectations now after winning the World Series in ‘23 is that we want to be a top five franchise in Major League Baseball,” he said. However, the Rangers face a unique challenge in achieving so. As of March 2025, the team ranks as the 12th most valuable MLB franchise, according to Forbes. Although Arlington is a hub for sports entertainment, most teams ahead of them are considered “major markets”: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia to name a few. Being neighbored with the most valuable in all sports, the Dallas Cowboys could also be a challenge for the Rangers. Nephew credits his time playing baseball at UTA for teaching him lessons not only in the sports industry but in life in general. Ray Casas, Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation community impact director, said he and Nephew take a lot of pride in being UTA alumni. “Growing up with the Rangers in our backyard, going to college at UTA and then getting to win a World Series ring, it’s pretty special,” Casas said. K.J. Hendricks, Los Angeles Angels scout and former UTA baseball player, served as Nephew’s assistant coach for his junior and senior seasons. Unlike Nephew, Hendricks was drafted to the MLB in 2002 and spent six seasons in the minor leagues. However, Nephew’s senior season had teams looking in his direction. In 2011, Nephew was selected to the All-Southland Conference second team in his senior season at UTA. On the mound, he played as a third baseman and was a strong hitter, finishing fourth in the regular conference that season with a .356 batting average. He also recorded 31 RBIs and led the Mavericks with 105 total bases. Playing professional baseball was always his goal, but not being drafted was a wake-up call. Despite not making the MLB, Nephew said everything worked out for the best. “Closing that chapter and going to the next corporate life kind of turned the page to make some money and get out of debt and all that stuff,” he said. “That was a big impact, it kind of changed my life.” Despite his talent, Hendricks best remembers Nephew for his leadership on and off the field. “The biggest thing that doesn’t do justice when you look at the stats with Brian is he was a good team leader. He galvanized guys, he brought good energy,” Hendricks said. “You've got to have those good locker room guys to help push the others forward and hold them accountable and encourage them and do all those things. Brian did a lot of those naturally.” Nephew’s principles as a teammate have carried into his future, regarding how he runs operations and treats his team. Nephew hopes to spend his entire career with the Rangers, the organization that has meant so much to him and his family. He met his wife, Bethany Nephew, during his tenure with the team and the pair have a son, Madden Nephew. She works with Casas, serving as the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation foundation event director. “The most important thing that I’ve learned is, now that I’m in a leadership role, just being vulnerable, being able to be a good teammate and be accountable for your colleagues,” he said. “If you do that, then everything else will take care of itself.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu