The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women’s Basketball Freshman Q&A: Justice Carlton
07.09.2024 | Women's Basketball
Carlton, a 6-1 forward from Katy, Texas, is the No. 12 ranked recruit in the 2024 class by ESPN and was a 2024 McDonald's All-American. Carlton averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds a game in the 2022-23 season and earned All-State honors as well as Offensive Player of the Year and Naismith Honorable Mention All-America accolades. Carlton holds seven school records at Seven Lakes including points in a game (46), points in a season (1020), rebounds in a game (23), blocks in a game (10), blocks in a season (115), career blocks (167) and single game free throw percentage (1.000, 7-of-7). Carlton's club team, Nike CyFair Elite participated in the Mamba Cup in California and was able to meet and play against Kobe Bryant's team, Mamba.
Hometown: Katy, Texas
Intended major at UT: Health Science. I want to be a midwife.
Favorite things to do in hometown
My hometown is kind of boring, but there is a place called La Centerra that is an outdoor mall that is close to my house that everyone hangs out at.
Favorite sport outside of basketball
I don't have a favorite sport outside of basketball, but if I had to pick it would be football.
Basketball or athlete hero
My favorite athlete is A'ja Wilson.
What do you want Longhorn fans to know about you
I am pretty outgoing and bubbly, not really shy.
Why did you want to come to Texas
Family orientation. Right when I got here, everyone was super welcoming with wide open arms. I really like the way Texas plays too, both offensively and defensively. I know it's super cliche when people say it feels like home right when you get there, and I know it's so corny, but there was a switch in my head where I was like Ya, I'm supposed to be here.
What makes you most excited for your freshman season
Getting to know everybody and retaining new information. In high school, I feel like there is only so much you can learn in high school basketball. I am excited to be around new people and learn new things.
What can people who have never seen you play basketball expect from you
Versatility and execution. I feel like I can pretty much do what you need me to do wherever you put me on the floor, whether it's defensively or offensively. I feel like I can do whatever the coach needs me to do.
Relationship with mom
We are best friends. I can talk to her about anything or say anything. There are no boundaries in our relationship, which sounds crazy, but we really are just best friends. I talk to her about stuff that is going on at school or stuff that doesn't involve me or drama, really just all kinds of things.
Family history in sports
My mom played at Baylor, then Detroit in the WNBA for a season, and then she played overseas. She was actually my coach at my high school for the last two years. I loved it.
Family
I have three younger sisters. There's always things going on like sports, dances, sleepovers. My youngest sister and I have an 11 year age gap. Then, there's a 16 year old and a 13 year old. Madison, the 16 year old, plays basketball, but she wants to take track more seriously. Then, the middle child is getting into volleyball, but she doesn't really know if she wants to play sports.
How did you start playing basketball
Started in sixth grade. Played soccer my whole life, but when I moved to Katy, I stopped playing and my mom threw me into basketball. The rest is history.
Favorite food: Spaghetti. I love spaghetti! I'm also a great cook, and I love to bake. We are going to have to have a baking competition. I bake everything, but mostly, hearty and soul desserts like pound cake and pies.
Favorite tv show/movie: Anything cartoons like Phineas and Ferb. I could watch those seasons over and over again.
Favorite place in Austin: Ladybird Lake. I love floating on the river, paddleboarding, and things like that.
Interest or hobbies outside of basketball: Cooking, except my mom hates when I do it because I don't clean up after myself. I love cooking steak, and I love eating steak. I could eat it every night, but spaghetti is still my favorite.
Favorite athletics memory: My first game back after I got hurt. A bunch of people from my community came out to watch. It was a really big game that night, and it was so super exciting to see all of that support.
Things learned going through an injury
Resilience, and as cliche as it is, never give up. It's crazy how quickly something can be taken from you.
What is it like getting to know the other freshman
They are super great people. They are really sweet; they are also super outgoing. I am really excited to play with them because I've never gotten to play with them or against them, so I am very excited.
Jersey Number
I am hoping it's 11. I don't know if anyone else has 11 yet. It was kind of the number that I got when I started taking basketball seriously. 11 kind of got thrown at me. When I got over the hump of being a post player and being a guard and taking advantage of everything around me, I was wearing number 11. It isn't really a number that is special to me, but it is a number that marked an important time in my basketball career, specifically during sophomore year.
Favorite songs/musical artists: Modern R&B. A lot of Frank Ocean, Sza, Summer Walker, stuff like that.
Restaurants
I eat a lot of Mexican food, but pretty much everywhere I go I get steak.
