NORMAN — Some 20,000 feet above Texas, Maddie Manning couldn't sleep.
The Oklahoma women's basketball team had just lost by four points to TCU, a team it had beaten by 13 less than three weeks earlier. The Sooners had a sub-. 500 record and were just 5-5 in the Big 12.
With time quickly running out on her final year of eligibility, Manning wanted to make a change.
She turned around in her seat and looked down the aisle of the plane, searching for Vionise Pierre-Louis. The two had a tight bond, formed when they both began their careers on the same team in practice, going against the starters every day.