Competition can make an athlete stronger. Senior Arielle Roberson comes from a very athletic family, and that meant a lot of friendly competition in the Roberson household.

 

With six siblings, four have competed at the Division I level. Roberson’s older sister Ashlee played basketball at Texas Tech, while her other older sister Amber played volleyball at Texas. In addition, her youngest brother Anthony currently plays basketball at Texas State, while her older brother Andre previously played basketball at Colorado. Currently, Andre plays for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

 

Roberson comes from a long line of winners, and she continues to build on the athletic family dynasty. Ever since she attended a women’s basketball game at Texas, she knew that this was a game she wanted to play for a long time.

 

“I was a three-sport athlete in high school, but I always knew that I wanted to play basketball,” Roberson explained. “When I was younger, I went to a Texas women’s basketball game versus Tennessee with my dad and my sister Amber, and that’s where it all hit me.

 

“My dad was telling my sister that it was a physical game, and he looked at her and said ‘I don’t know if you want to play.’ I took that message to heart, and in that moment, I wanted to prove everyone wrong and prove to myself that I could play that physical game.”

 

After all, the physical game is what the 6-foot-1 forward loves the most. Day-in and day-out, Roberson walks onto the court with a feisty attitude that she mimicked from watching Ashlee play at Texas Tech. Roberson plays with no regrets, and she has a fire in her that no one can tame.

 

That fire carried the San Antonio, Texas, native all the way to almost heaven, West Virginia.

 

After spending the past five years at Colorado, Roberson arrived in Morgantown after she missed the 2014-15 campaign due to an ACL injury during preseason. She also missed her true freshman year in 2010-11 due to a torn labrum in her left hip. However, overcoming those adversities at Colorado helped her develop into the person and player that she is today.

 

“After the injuries, I think I drew a lot of strength for myself when it came to day-to-day life,” Roberson noted. “Not everything is smooth sailing, and I learned that. I never had a serious injury in high school where I had to sit out a whole game, let alone an entire season, so it really hit me when it happened my freshman year. I didn’t know how to respond, but then I did.

 

“I was able to watch my brother play, and I realized that there was life outside of basketball. I was able to find myself. Now, I try to use that pain, frustration and anger as motivation. I try to treat every day like it is my last. One play can lead to a season-ending injury, so I try to think that everything is a blessing, and I want to be grateful for what I have.”

 

The 2011-12 Pac-12 Conference Freshman Player of the Year is also grateful that she is finishing her final season on a team with similar connections. During the recruiting process, Roberson only had one tie with the Mountaineers’ and that played a pivotal role in her decision. She was comfortable with the coaching staff, and her connection with coach Chester (Nichols) through her club basketball days at TeamXpress helped tie everything together.

 

“Coach Chester was really good friends with my coach from TeamXpress (Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil),” Roberson noted. “I was referred to as Smiley while I played at TeamXpress, and that’s how coach Chester got to know me. He remembered me and my nickname. We’ve also had a few TeamXpress alums play for West Virginia, and they all spoke very highly of this program. It helped make my decision that much easier.”

 

It also helped that the heart of the Big 12 Conference is in the state of Texas, and it gives Roberson the opportunity to play near her family in her final season of eligibility. While donning the Old Gold and Blue, Roberson looks forward to proving everyone wrong once again.

 

“I know that we are a young team, so I can’t wait to prove so many critics wrong,” Roberson stated. “I have been on plenty of teams where we were at the bottom, but we always climbed our way to the top.

 

That is what I want to see from this season. I think the best thing that anybody can do is get better as a whole, and if we can say we did that, then I think we will have a great year.”

 

Roberson also has her eyes set on a master’s degree in communications, as she looks to one day have a career with ESPN. Since high school, Roberson has always wanted to be an on camera reporter, because leaving the game behind is something that she cannot even put into words.