‘I wouldn’t trade it for the world’: What Utah basketball has meant to Utes’ senior leaders

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Utah guard Lani White (0) is doused by her teammates during an interview after Utah defeated the No. 8 TCU Horned Frogs 87-77 in overtime at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

The opportunities to represent the University of Utah in a basketball uniform are coming close to an end for four seniors on the Utes women’s basketball team.

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On Saturday, those four players will get their curtain call in front of the home crowd.

Utah will honor seniors Lani White, Maty Wilke, Samantha Crispe and Alyssa Blanck with a ceremony following the Utes’ final home game — and regular-season finale — when they host Arizona (5 p.m. MST, ESPN+) at the Huntsman Center.

None of the four spent their entire time at the University of Utah — they all transferred at some point in their college careers.

But they found a home in the Utes community.

“I mean, it means everything. Obviously, I’m so happy that the university was willing to accept me with open arms and warm welcomes, of course. But I know that it was bigger than just basketball. The community accepted me like no other. I always spoke about this university like it’s a family,” said White, a native of Irvine, California.

White played two seasons at Utah, transferred to Virginia Tech last year and experienced a breakout season with the Hokies before returning to the Utes program for her senior season.

“I showed who I can be at Virginia Tech. And I’m very thankful that that coach believed in me and that program, but I was just super far away from home, and I think that really had a big impact on my mental health,” White said. “So coming back to the U., I think I fell in love with the game, but also the support that I had from fans, family and friends.”

White’s return to Utah has been beneficial for both sides. She leads the Utes in scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game, and she, along with Wilke, is an emotional leader for this year’s youthful squad.

Like White, Wilke said the relationships she has built — both on and off the court — have made her experience in Salt Lake City unforgettable.

Following two seasons at Wisconsin, less than an hour from her Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, home, Wilke took a chance on Utah — one that’s paid off for both sides.

“I’m so grateful to be here, and all the people I’ve met along the way here at Utah, I’ve only had great experiences. I want to say, Utah saved me,” Wilke said. “It just brought a different side of me out, and not only brought my love for basketball, but just like my joy for life and just creating relationships.

“I’m just extremely grateful for the University of Utah, and then everyone that’s been a part of my journey here. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Utah guard Maty Wilke drives to the basket amid a trio of Cincinnati defenders during a game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News

If the Utes manage to make the NCAA Tournament for a fifth-straight season, they can thank the contributions from White and Wilke, as well as Crispe and Blanck, who all bring their own positives to the Utah sideline.

In Utah’s 67-64 comeback win over Colorado on Tuesday, White scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the third quarter as the Utes turned a seven-point halftime deficit into an eventual win over another program that is fighting to be on the right side of the bubble when the NCAA Tournament is unveiled March 15.

Wilke, the team’s second-leading scorer this year at 10.6 points per game, also came up big, scoring six of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Crispe, who’s played two of her best offensive games of the season recently, hit two first-half 3-pointers to keep Utah within striking distance.

Utah Utes forward Samantha Crispe (44) looks to shoot the ball while guarded by Arizona State Sun Devils center Nevaeh Parkinson (32) during an NCAA women’s basketball game between the University of Utah and Arizona State University held at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

It’s the relationships that have kept this Utes squad close, beginning with head coach Gavin Petersen. He’s nearing the end of his second season as head coach, and as former coach Lynne Roberts’ top assistant, he played a huge role in recruiting the talent the Utes have seen come through their program.

“Gavin’s everything — I mean him and I have a lot of conversations about basketball, not about basketball, but I really look up to him and everything that he’s done," White said.

“I don’t want to say he turned around the program in two years, but he’s made it something completely different, but he’s still preaching the same culture and foundation (that) is super important to us.”

White and Wilke, in particular, share a close bond.

When the two represented Utah, along with Petersen, at Big 12 basketball media days back in October, Wilke said when she went on an official visit to Utah prior to transferring to the school, White was the first person she connected with.

“We always just kind of fed up each other’s energy,” Wilke said.

Even when White left to Virginia Tech for a season, the pair kept in contact.

Wilke said while White’s one-year departure gave her mixed emotions — sad she left, but happy White got a new experience — she also made it clear that White would be welcomed back with open arms if she chose to return to Utah.

“To be able to be in the leadership role with her is just awesome, because we have so many different experiences, and I think we value the same things, and just how we go about life in general, not just basketball, is pretty similar,” Wilke said.

“It’s really nice just to bounce ideas off her and to compete against her.”

White shared similar sentiments about her fellow seniors.

“It’s awesome. Maty is a great player. I think she brings a lot of that leadership, but also that old-head mentality. She’s had her neck in the game for a couple years,” White said. “It’s been super awesome just getting to share my senior year with her, along with Sam Crispe and Alyssa Blanck. It’s been awesome.”

There’s the possibility Utah could play a postseason home game if the Utes don’t make the NCAA Tournament, but for certain, Saturday’s matchup will be the last time White, Wilke, Crispe and Blanck play a regular-season game at the arena they’ve called home for several years.

Crispe, who came to Utah after one season at Boston University, and Blanck, the former Olympus High star who transferred as a walk-on to Utah after one season at BYU, joined the Utes in the same season as Wilke, ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Utah forward Alyssa Blanck (15) celebrates after Utah defeated the No. 8 TCU Horned Frogs 87-77 in overtime at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Now, they’re trying to give Utah one last chance at making the NCAAs again — first, there’s Saturday’s matchup against Arizona, then the Big 12 tournament next week in Kansas City.

The Utes could use some momentum and résumé-building wins to strengthen their case before the NCAA committee releases the field of 68.

Wilke is confident the Utes will put everything they can into this final push.

“We know what our goals are as a team, and we know what we want to achieve, so obviously we’re going to work towards that. At the end of the day, like I said, we are going to give our all, and no matter what result that brings, we want to be able to look at each other and ourselves in the mirror and be like, ‘Hey, we gave it our all. I’m so proud of how we played,’” she said.

“That’s the main goal. And obviously, yeah, we do want to make the tournament. That’s the culture and legacy, and we do believe we’re good enough. It’s just finishing out strong and believing we can do it.”

Utah guard Lani White celebrates after the Utes beat Cincinnati 67-59 during a game at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. White scored a game-high 23 points. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News

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