Breanna Baxter has become known for her skills on the court as a member of the Region XIV Conference-co champion Lady Cardinal basketball team. Off court, Baxter is known for another important role: being a mother to her two children: Dre and Kai.

After graduating from Kerens High School in 2015, Baxter was offered an opportunity to continue her education and playing career at Pratt Community College in Pratt, KS. But her life path changed midway through her freshman year when she found out motherhood was in her future.

Baxter stepped away from the game to take care of her son Dre, now 7, and eventually became mom to a daughter, Kai, now age 6.

"There was a span of six years that I [didn't] play basketball," Baxter shared. "I was very rusty when I started playing again."

After six years without playing, Baxter decided to sign up to play on a few exposure basketball teams and recreational basketball leagues in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. While looking at different teams to play on, Baxter learned about the SwinCity League in Dallas.

"SwinCity is getting popular," Baxter noted. "It's kind of like a junior league of the WNBA and NBA. I started playing for the league and the point guard for the team I was playing on mentioned to me that she wanted me to meet someone who would be an asset to our team."

Little did Baxter know she would meet a future Lady Cardinal teammate, Emani Jenkins.

"After three years, I started thinking 'I want to go back to college,' but I thought maybe it's not in the cards for me," Baxter said. "I thought maybe I should just stick with rec ball. Well, when I met Emani, I said 'Hey, tell your coach I have three years of eligibility left. You should throw it out there and let her know.'"

Jenkins decided to reach out to fifth-year TVCC coach Precious Ivy and let her know about Baxter. Ivy decided to look into Baxter as a potential member for the team.

"Coach P said 'Well, alright when does she [Baxter] have a game and when does she play? Because I want to see her,'" Baxter shared. "So, Coach P and Jack Duffie came to an open gym at Pinkston High School in Dallas. We talked for a little bit. The open gym was on a Wednesday and on the following Saturday I had a SwinCity game so Coach [Tarniesha] Scott and Jack saw me in that game. The following Monday, I had a follow-up visit at TVCC."

During Baxter's visit to TVCC and meeting the coaches, she shared her excitement to attend TVCC and how committed she would be.

"They had some concerns since I was an older player, a mom and had been out of school for a while," Baxter explained. "But it was a second chance for me. Nothing could make me not committed to this and they gave me a shot. I mean this is where I wanted to go. Trinity Valley is a big deal!"

Ivy said Baxter made a big impact on the Lady Cardinals claiming a share of their 31st conference title in the last 33 seasons and earning a 17th straight trip to the national tournament.

"Being a bit older, Bre brought a maturity to the team, that was needed considering some of the setbacks we had early on due to injuries," Ivy said. "She gave us leadership in addition to her performance on the floor."

Baxter, a 5-11 forward, averaged 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Lady Cardinals in their 26-7 season, which will continue Tuesday at the national tournament in Casper, WY.

She is excited about the Lady Cardinals' chances in Wyoming and the future.

"I feel everything happens for a reason," Baxter expressed. "From meeting Emani to now, everything happened exactly how it was supposed to. We all believe in ourselves."

Not only does Baxter feel confident in herself and her teammates, but her biggest supporters: her children are excited to cheer her on.

"One of my favorite things is having my kids at games and being able to watch me play," Baxter shared. "My son is really into sports. He'll comment on things after the games. My daughter really enjoys getting to see the cheerleaders and Cardettes."

Though Baxter enjoys getting to play, being surrounded by her teammates, and seeing her children cheer her on, she has dealt with moments of uncertainty prior to arriving in Athens.

"There were times I really did want to quit," Baxter noted. "I thought 'This is getting hard. I'm getting behind on things.' Plus, my car went down so I had to ask for rides every day. Every day I had to wake up and think how I am getting through the day, but I couldn't. When it came down to the moment, I would have to pull the coaches into the office and sit down with them to discuss quitting, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I had to push through it."

Though Baxter has a love for basketball, her passion for her career is in nursing. She plans to finish her prerequisites for nursing school, apply for a nursing program and hopes to one day work for a dialysis center.

"I've always been interested in nursing," Baxter shared. "I always get a good feeling from helping people. If I've made an impact on a person's life in a positive way, it makes me feel good."

For the moment, though, it is all about Lady Cardinal basketball and the national tournament.