Oklahoma State women’s basketball head coach Jacie Hoyt has opened up about her years-long struggle with infertility, sharing how her faith in God helped her through a difficult and uncertain time.
Speaking on the Sports Spectrum podcast, Hoyt reflected on the emotional challenges she faced when trying to become a mother. Despite her heartbreak, she never lost her belief in God.
“I can’t say I ever doubted that He was real,” Hoyt said. “It was more like, ‘God, just tell me if I’m going to be able to have a baby or not. If that’s not your plan, I’ll obey. But if it is, then please make it happen.’”
She described the experience as spiritually and emotionally confusing. “I just didn’t know how He wanted me to move through this space,” she explained. “I remember telling my mom, ‘I wish God could just sit down with me over coffee and say, Jacie, you’re either going to be a mom or you’re not.’ Even if I didn’t like the answer, I would obey. But the not knowing—that was the hardest part.”
After years of waiting, Hoyt’s prayers were answered. On July 11, 2024, she announced on Instagram that she and her husband, Daniel Heflin, were expecting their first child.
“We’ve got a new roster addition coming in December!” she wrote. “We are thrilled and grateful for God’s perfect timing in our life. Not sure Buzz feels the same, but he will come around,” she added, referring to their dog.
Hoyt said the pregnancy announcement marked the end of a 4.5-year battle with infertility—a time she described as full of heartache and disappointment.
“Pictures like this used to be so hard for me to see,” she admitted. “They were a reminder of what I didn’t have or thought I might never have. I hope anyone who sees this finds hope, not sorrow. I pray that no matter how hopeless it feels, you can learn to have unshakeable faith in Jesus and in God’s perfect timing. He is good all the time, and all the time He is good.”
Hoyt ended her Instagram post with a Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
On December 11, 2024, Hoyt and Heflin welcomed their daughter, Harlow Renée Heflin.
“The greatest blessing I’ve ever received…the blessing of being a mama,” Hoyt wrote on Mother’s Day.
Though the road was long and often painful, Hoyt said God never left her side. Her story now serves as a testimony of hope and faith for others navigating the same struggles with infertility.
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