Julia Konesky | Reporter
Graduate forward Madison Bartley transferred to Baylor before her senior season but dealt with injuries for most of her time as a Bear. She announced her medical retirement on Jan. 24, but plans to remain with the team providing “support from the sidelines.”
Before transferring, Bartley started at Belmont, where she was a two-time First Team all-conference selection, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
“Going to the NCAA tournaments for most of my career and helping Belmont get there was just really cool,” Bartley said when reflecting on her time before Baylor. “I just feel like everything was meaningful because it’s led me to be the person I am today.”
Bartley found a community at Baylor through her teammates, coaches and fans who embraced her. She continues to support her teammates and shows up for her fans at all team events.
“I think it makes it easy when you’re surrounded by great people and a great program,” Bartley said. “Being able to come to Baylor was hard but also easy with my teammates around me and my coaches who made it easy for me to get used to the environment and the team. I felt like it was always the right choice for me. I’ve always felt supported, and I feel even more supported now.”
Bartley wore No. 3 for the Bears and appeared in 21 games her senior year before missing a portion of the season due to a lower back injury. In her Baylor debut against Southern University, she put up her season-best 12 points, shooting 5-for-6 in 17 minutes. While dealing with her injury for the past two seasons, she averaged just 2.5 points per game.
She made the difficult decision public when Baylor women’s basketball made a post to X.
“This was not an easy decision for me to make,” Bartley said in the post. “I want to thank God for the opportunity to play at Baylor and for the chance to play the sport of basketball that I love.”
Bartley is currently working on finishing her master’s degree, which is set to be completed in December. She is undergoing regular treatment for her back while preparing for her future aspirations of being a teacher and a mom.
“My identity is through Christ, so I don’t feel like my identity has changed much after making this decision,” Bartley said. “I think that I’ve just had a change in my life and my path, and that’s okay.”
