"Not a Decision" Bailey Maupin: In an Era of Transfers She Wants to Leave a Legacy
The rise of the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing has reshaped college sports. Players have more freedom than ever to transfer. Chasing bigger stages, better situations and bigger offers. Money and opportunities can change futures overnight, bringing added pressure and decisions. Is it about loyalty and legacy, or simply business?
While Lady Raider star senior Bailey Maupin is taken care of in those areas at Texas Tech, these opportunities of bigger and more are what fill the direct messages and voicemails of 18-22 year-old athletes now. For Maupin though – it was never complicated.
“It was not a decision,” she said emphatically when asked about staying at Texas Tech for her senior season. “In my heart, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. This is where I wanted to be since I was little. Texas Tech is home for me. It always has been, and it always will be.”
Maupin grew up in Gruver, Texas, a Panhandle town of just over 1,000 people. By the time she left high school, she had led the Greyhounds to two state championships and become one of the most decorated players West Texas had ever seen. When college coaches came calling, she had options including Vanderbilt, Georgia and many others – but she felt an unmistakable pull to Lubbock.
Part of that was undoubtedly the proximity to home. But much of it was also about the coach who recruited her. Krista Gerlich was the first to offer her when she was still at UT-Arlington, long before she took over at Texas Tech. Maupin never forgot who believed in her first.
“She’s from a small town, I’m from a small town,” said Maupin shortly after her commitment back in 2021 to local reporters in Amarillo. “She understands how my day-to-day life goes living in Gruver. She was my very first offer at UTA, the first one to believe in me and I think that says a lot about a person.”
That bond carried into college, where Gerlich has seen other programs try to lure players like Maupin away.
“There’s people calling them left and right, there’s people DMing them, there’s money offers on the table — you just have no idea, because it can be life-changing,” Gerlich said honestly. “But there was no doubt what Bailey’s decision was, and she stood firm with it from the get-go. We’re really lucky for that… She came here to do something special.”
Even after her third season ended without a NCAA tournament appearance there was still no question in Maupin’s mind. After the season the staff talked with every player honestly, in this day and age you have to, about what their plans were moving forward. Maupin was as steady in this moment as she has been in her career, she walked into Gerlich’s office and ended the conversation before it began.
“She was like, ‘There’s no question. Just tell me what’s next,’” Gerlich recalled. “Gotta love that.”
That loyalty has been more than symbolic. For three seasons, it meant sacrifice. Maupin often played out of position at point guard, running the offense and carrying responsibilities that muted some of her natural off-ball menace ways. She did it because the team needed her too.
And now perhaps that loyalty has led to a roster that will simply allow Bailey to be Bailey.
With the addition of Campbell senior transfer Gemma Nuñez, who ranked top 10 nationally in assists last year, and senior combo guard from UTSA Sidney Love – the Lady Raiders finally have multiple point guard options on the roster. That should allow both Denae Fritz and Maupin to shift back to their more natural position where they can attack, catch and shoot… and most of all allow their elite basketball IQ to be a true weapon playing in space.
“She’s still going to have the ball in her hands a lot,” Coach Gerlich said of Maupin specifically. “But being able to play her off the ball more is going to be exciting. That’s where she thrives and now we’ve got the personnel to let her do that.”
Maupin wasn’t going to pretend to be coy about it either.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it…I’m excited,” she said with a grin.
She also noted the Lady Raiders want to play with more pace this season. “We want to get out in transition and play faster, not rely on set plays as much,” Maupin said. That shift should give her even more opportunities to make an impact in her senior year.
And with more than 1,300 career points already, Maupin is well on her way to leaving her name in the Texas Tech record books. Gerlich believes that’s exactly what makes her unique.
“She’s the face of our program, no doubt,” Gerlich said. “In a world of transfers, she’s one of the unique individuals that has stayed where she’s at. To be honest, she’s going to leave her name in the record books because she’s been at a place for four years. A lot of great players are never going to leave their legacy because they’ve transferred to four different schools. Bailey’s going to have that.”
For Maupin, the numbers matter less than the meaning.
“I want to leave a legacy here,” she said. “That’s been the goal from the start.”
Now with a faster-paced offense and finally playing in her most natural position again, that legacy isn’t just a recruiting pitch — it’s her reality as the first fourth-year Lady Raider since Brittany Brewer graduated in 2020.
And whether this season is the end or not may still be decided — NCAA discussions around the five-in-five rule could open the door to another year. Asked if it felt strange to think about this possibly being her last season, Maupin admitted, “It does. But you know, live in the moment, enjoy every second that I get to still be here.”
It’s the same approach that’s defined her career: selfless, loyal and all in on the moment — a Lady Raider for life.
Join the conversation with other Red Raiders on the Inside The Double T forum.
Subscribe today to get the most in-depth Texas Tech sports and recruiting coverage.
Follow us on X: @RedRaiderSports
Like and follow us on Instagram @rrs_rivals & like us on Facebook.
