Mariah McKinney wanted to push send on the email and take a shot at continuing her basketball career. She thought about the pros and cons, held back by doubts and worried about the response.
"I already had the email written up and my cousins and my sisters were like 'Send the email, reach out to her and quit being so scared,'" she said. "I started to think maybe my time is fading, maybe I'm getting too old. I was self-sabotaging a little bit."
McKinney hit the button on that December day and Wichita State women's basketball coach Keitha Adams responded with a call.