McMurry University Athletics

Ogonna Merritt was not only an outstanding women's basketball player but has gone on to become a successful lawyer since graduating from McMurry

It's no coincidence that – beginning with her freshman season – the program started a string of 16-consecutive years with double-digit victory totals that is on-going today.  McMurry teams have had winning records in 14 of those 16 seasons, as well.

The team went 11-14 her freshman season, but by the time she was a senior, her play had helped engineer what was one of the most magical years of McMurry women's hoops history in 1999-2000.

In 1999-2000, the Indians had a record of 24-5 and what was, at that time, the school record for victories in a season.  They won the ASC West Division and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs…advancing all the way to the Sweet Sixteen before being eliminated.

Merritt led the team in scoring that year at 13.1 points per game.  But her prowess all during her career was her total game.  She also topped the team in assists at 3.5 per game and steals at 4.6 per game! 

For her McMurry career, Merritt ranks: No.-5 in scoring with 1,194 points; No.-2 in assists with 398; and No.-1 in steals with 414 career “thefts”.

She holds three of the top five records for most steals in a season, including the No.-1 spot with 138 steals in 1999-2000. She also holds the single-game steals record with 12.

Merritt was voted ASC All-West Division first team three times and honorable mention once; she was named ASC All-Conference twice. She was also a two-time West Division Defensive “Player of the Year.”  As a senior, she was an All-South Region second team selection and an honorable mention All-American.

She was voted the team's “MVP” twice- as a junior and senior. She was also a two-year team captain. She brought further prestige to McMurry University when she was named to the ASC's Academic All-Conference Team and, furthermore, was twice selected as an Arthur Ashes, Jr. All-American Sports Scholar!

She was involved in Alpha Psi Alpha, was a certified writing tutor, published in the Galleon and earned the Mary Guillet Award for the Outstanding English Graduate.

After graduation from McMurry in the Spring of 2000 with a double-major in Communications and English, Merritt earned a Juris Doctorate from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2004.

She began her law career in the Houston area and then worked for seven years with the firm of Binder & Binder.

She recently opened her own practice, concentrating in the area of Social Security Disability law.

Merritt has also been a coach and mentor in the girls' “Hoops for Hope” program in the Dallas area and regularly attends the North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship.