FEATURE: Denae Fritz and her journey to the 806
June 14, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Tigers can represent many things in different cultures… Strength, fearlessness, power and more. For incoming Lady Raider, Denae Fritz, a tiger encapsulates her personality and characteristics she bestows as a person – as shown by a tattoo she has on her arm of a human eye and a tiger’s face.
“The tiger and half-human eye – that's my eye, so it kind of just describes me as a person,” Denae said.
The same could be said for her playing style as well. The redshirt junior from Maryville, Tennessee began her career at a familiar place and one where she was born – Ames, Iowa. Having multiple offers coming out of high school, Denae chose to go to a school that both of her parents, Daeon Fritz and Carrie Stephens, attended in Iowa State.
“They graduated from there so that's what, at the time, felt like home and I was going based off of family and just history,” Denae added.
Showing that strength right off the bat, Denae had a tough first year after being sidelined due to a stress fracture in her shin, a nagging injury that only got worse throughout the years. After the third game of her freshman stint, Denae would have to do something she’s not really had to do before.
“I went to our athletic trainer and I was like, ‘I can't walk. This is getting too bad.’ Then, I sat the rest of year, and that was honestly the first time I've ever had to sit out a game. It was really hard for me to overcome.”
After going through extensive rehab and leaning on a great support system from her teammates, Denae came back and had a breakout season in her redshirt freshman year. Appearing in 32 games with 31 starts, Denae aided the Cyclones to a 22-win season, a Big 12 Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Averaging 8.8 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and a 42.6 shooting percentage (98-of-230), Denae was recognized to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team while also earning Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors.
“That helped me realize I have the ability to be really good on the court and off the court, academically. And honestly, I think that just helps me realize that once I put my mind to what I want, I'm going to do what I can to get it,” Denae added of her accolades.
After her redshirt freshman season at Iowa State, Denae transferred to Baylor where she helped the Bears to a Sweet 16 appearance while playing in 25 games in 2023-24. Like her first year in college, Denae had to overcome a lot while in Waco, but she learned many things along the way, especially what she wanted to get out of her playing and academic career.
All of this led Denae to Lubbock, where she knew immediately from her visit that she’d be wearing a Scarlet and Black uniform in the fall.
“I thought Coach Gerlich was very honest from the jump – she didn’t really hide anything. Obviously, with me being at two different schools, I kind of know what I’m looking for and I got good at reading coaches. I felt like, when I met with [Coach Gerlich] and talked with her, it was one of the realest conversations I’ve ever had," Denae said.
It felt like home to me, it felt like I was going to play for a coach who believed in me on-and-off the court. And then everyone else that I met – the players were awesome, and all the coaches here were great.
Feeling like home may be an understatement as Denae has visited Lubbock a few times before, not just for basketball endeavors. Her sister, DeAndra, as well as her brother-in-law, Nick, both reside in the 806 after DeAndra graduated from Tech.
“It’s really different than the past because I have family here, which makes it even more homey than before. It's just another plus to being at Texas Tech for me. Family means a lot to me, so them being here and having my back no matter what, it really is just going to be a special couple of years," Denae said.
Lady Raider Nation can expect to see passion and fierceness from Denae’s style of play – which is exactly what this fanbase brings to games as well and is something she knows well.
“I'm really excited to play in front of Lady Raider Nation. I think it's one of the best crowds in the Big 12. I remember playing here as a freshman, and it was really loud. They get into it. So, finally playing for them is going to be a really fun and exciting experience.”
Her journey has been one full of obstacles and weird circumstances, starting with her recruiting process in high school happening at the same time as COVID-19, then sitting out for the first time of her career due to an injury, followed by a stop at Baylor where she learned a lot from.
But now, she can relax and just play her game.
“I think Coach Gerlich giving me this opportunity is really special because when I play loose and comfortable, I feel like that's when I play my best,” she said.
“I'm really unselfish and a really hard defender. A lot of people say that I don't smile out of court, but when I'm out there, it’s like business to me. It’s fun, but it's also very serious. I don't want to lose, and so I think I'm very passionate and hardworking.”
Just like a tiger, Denae’s sharp senses, intuition and courage will play a role in her game, giving Lady Raider Nation the chance to see how West Texas Tough Denae is as soon as she steps foot on the court in the United Supermarkets Arena in the fall.
