When most players hit a slump, the instinct is to hit the gym harder. More shots, more reps, more grind.
But TCU forward Marta Suarez took a different route - one that didn’t involve a basketball at all. Instead, she picked up a paintbrush.
For Suarez, art isn’t just a hobby. It’s a creative release, a second passion that’s helped her stay grounded through the ups and downs of a long season.
Scroll through her Instagram, and you’ll find everything from a striking portrait of Dennis Rodman to custom-painted Kobe Bryant sneakers and even a self-portrait in her TCU uniform mid-jumper. It’s not just impressive - it’s personal.
And lately, it’s been powerful.
After a stretch of games where her shot just wasn’t falling, Suarez turned to her art to reset. The result?
A 24-point breakout performance in TCU’s dominant 90-45 win over Houston. It was her first 20-point game since early January and came on the heels of a strong showing against No.
18 Texas Tech.
“Having that outlet was huge,” Suarez said. “Shots weren’t falling, and I think a big part of it was me not spending that time to release. I needed to step away from the game and invest in other stuff.”
That perspective is rare - especially in the pressure cooker of Big 12 basketball, where expectations are sky-high and the margin for error is razor thin. But Suarez’s willingness to take a step back might’ve been exactly what she needed to push forward.
Earlier in the season, Suarez was one of the breakout names in the country. Her scoring touch, rebounding tenacity, and ability to handle the ball in the half-court made her a rising name in WNBA mock drafts. At her best, she’s a matchup nightmare - a forward who can stretch the floor, crash the glass, and make plays off the bounce.
Through the season, she’s averaging 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 35.3% from beyond the arc. Those are strong numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Early on, Suarez was on a tear - scoring 19 or more in six straight and averaging 18.3 points in her first three Big 12 games. Then came the slump: seven games of inconsistent production, three single-digit outings, and shooting under 40% in each of them.
But Suarez didn’t panic. She painted.
She reset. She reminded herself who she is - and then she showed the rest of us.
“Sometimes you just need to go to Goodwill, find a canvas and paint over it,” Suarez said with a smile. “Have some fun with it, and it turns out next game you shoot it a lot better.”
And shoot better she did. Against Houston, Suarez knocked down three triples - her most since January 3 - and pulled down 10 boards.
She ran the floor, finished a coast-to-coast drive with a smooth lefty layup, and carved up the Cougars’ defense with smart cuts and physical finishes. TCU dominated the paint with 54 points, and the 45-point win marked the program’s largest margin of victory ever in a Big 12 game.
“We had a hard time handling her physically,” Houston head coach Matthew Mitchell said. “She played a great game, she really hustled and got herself in positions where she could have success.”
It’s not just the scoring, though. Suarez’s presence on the floor changes the geometry of TCU’s offense.
Her two-player game with star guard Olivia Miles gives the Horned Frogs one of the most dynamic duos in the country. Miles may be the engine - the team’s clear alpha - but Suarez is the piece that makes everything run smoother.
Think of her as the glue that holds the system together, much like Sedona Prince did during TCU’s Elite Eight run.
“When Marta’s playing great basketball, we’re a different team,” said TCU head coach Mark Campbell. “She’s a hard worker, she loves the game, and she’s stayed consistent through the highs and lows. That’s what makes her special.”
Campbell and her teammates never wavered in their belief. That support mattered.
Suarez said the encouragement she got from Miles and the coaching staff helped her stay steady during the cold stretch. She never stopped putting in the work - but she also didn’t let the slump define her.
“It’s just basketball,” Suarez said. “You just gotta stick with it. My teammates, my coaches gave me the confidence to keep shooting the ball, so that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
Now, with the business end of the season on the horizon, TCU’s going to need Suarez at her best. The Horned Frogs are staring down a brutal stretch - three ranked opponents, plus tough matchups with Iowa State and Colorado. It’s the kind of schedule that reveals who’s ready for March and who’s not.
But if Suarez keeps playing like she did against Houston? TCU won’t just be defending its Big 12 crown. They’ll be making a serious case as a Final Four threat.
And if that happens, don’t be surprised if somewhere in Suarez’s studio, there’s a canvas waiting - ready to capture it all.