Ariel Atkins
- School
- University of Texas
- Position
- Guard
- Major
- Sport Management
Classroom
Ariel Atkins is a three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 teams, an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Honorable Mention recipient, a three-time selection to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and a two-time selection to the University of Texas Athletics Director’s Honor Roll. She is a sport management major.
Character
Atkins has been selected to represent Texas women’s basketball on a wide variety of platforms because of her character. She is the primary vocal leader on her basketball team, a member of the University of Texas Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was selected as a student-athlete representative for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Competition Committee. In the summer of 2016, she participated in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere (FLAME) program. Inspired by her younger brother, Byron, she wants to pursue a career in which she can give back to children.
Community
Atkins is a 2017 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team nominee. She has participated in a wide range of community-service programs, including the following: Neighborhood Longhorns College for a Day, Neighborhood Longhorns Kickoff Assembly, Neighborhood Longhorns Pen Pals, Forgotten Friends, the Austin Parks Foundation and Austin Lady Magic. She has also volunteered at Dell Children’s Hospital, the Salvation Army and the Orange Santa Toy Drive.
Competition
Atkins has played in 86 career games with 65 starts. She was named a WBCA honorable mention All-America selection (2017), a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2017 and a second-team recipient in 2016. She also was named to the 2017 Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
In 2016, Atkins was named to the NCAA Bridgeport All-Regional Team. She led the Big 12 Conference in steals per game with 2.0 as a sophomore and shot 81.8 percent from the free-throw line.
As of nomination time, she ranks eighth on Texas all-time career free-throw percentage list (.821) and has scored in double figures 52 times during her Texas career. She has twice participated in USA Basketball and was on the USA U18 National Team in 2014 and on the USA U23 National Team in 2017.
