In the competitive world of collegiate basketball, communication is vital, especially for those in leadership roles like point guards. Ereauna Hardaway, a player with remarkable tenacity, has excelled in this position throughout her life. However, her path has not been without obstacles, as she faces a significant hearing challenge.
Hardaway, originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, experienced a substantial loss of hearing in the first grade, despite being born with normal hearing. This condition remains a mystery to medical professionals, presenting unique challenges throughout her athletic career.
“It’s been a big challenge,” Hardaway stated. “Most people don’t know I can’t hear until I tell them and then they really recognize it.”
Standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall, Hardaway transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) from the University of North Texas ahead of the 2025-26 season. She aims to step into the role left vacant by Nina De Leon Negron.
While hearing aids offer significant assistance, Hardaway initially refrained from using them due to concerns about being ridiculed. Her mother, Taneisha, permitted her not to wear the devices as long as she maintained strong academic performance.
“It was kind of a confidence thing for me when I was younger because you don’t see many kids wearing hearing aids,” Hardaway explained. “I made it my mission to pass my classes so I didn’t have to wear them.”
To adapt, Hardaway learned to read lips effectively, which has become a crucial communication tool for her. “If you’re talking to me and I don’t hear you, but I’m looking at you, I’m probably reading your lips,” she said.
Introduced to basketball in the fourth grade, Hardaway found a welcoming community that made her feel accepted. “Basketball made me feel like I was normal. I don’t like to say that because I still am normal, but it made me feel like I was just like everyone else and I could do everything they could do,” she remarked.
A pivotal moment came during a Point Guard College (PGC) Camp when she met another player who wore a hearing aid. This encounter inspired Hardaway to reconsider her own use of the device. “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s so cool,’” she recalled. “She gave me a little bit more confidence to put them on.”
Recognized as the Class 5A Most Valuable Player in Arkansas in 2021, Hardaway led her high school team to a state championship and earned accolades such as the Best Under the Sun Player of the Year. After high school, she joined North Texas, where she spent three successful seasons, culminating in a Co-American Conference regular-season championship in 2023-24.
During her time at North Texas, she averaged 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, starting 34 games in her final season. Her decision to transfer to UTSA was influenced by the program’s fifth-year head coach, Karen Aston, who is known for building strong relationships with her players. Aston and the sports medicine staff at UTSA have been instrumental in helping Hardaway with her hearing needs.
“Coach Karen has put in a lot of effort for me to get hearing aids,” said Hardaway. “I did have hearing aids, but they were broken. Coach was like, ‘Let’s see what we can do.’ She put in the work to help me get new ones which I’ve actually ended up liking because they’re really cool.”
Hardaway shares her excitement over her new custom hearing aids, which are designed to stay in place during games. She anticipates this will enhance her ability to communicate with teammates and coaches on the court.
As she becomes more comfortable with her hearing aids under Aston’s guidance, Hardaway seeks to inspire others to embrace their individual challenges. “Find somebody that you feel like can help or you look up to,” she advises. “Don’t care what anybody else says. Be yourself. If it helps you, do it.”
