Las Vegan Raychel Stanley bows out in WCC women’s tournament

Loyola Marymount senior Raychel Stanley took time to reflect on her basketball career before the West Coast Conference tournament began Thursday at Orleans Arena. She thought about where it started, where it would end and about how they’re actually one and the same.

That would be her hometown of Las Vegas.

“It kind of seems like my life has come full circle,” Stanley said. “It’s definitely special.”

Stanley, a native Las Vegan and Bishop Gorman High graduate, capped her collegiate career Thursday with six points and five rebounds in a 72-63 loss to Saint Mary’s in the first round of the women’s tournament.

“It’s emotional,” said her mother, Juli. “But I’m blessed. I feel blessed that she is where she is.”

Stanley, a 6-foot-2-inch center, is the youngest of three, and older brothers Ronnie and Robert were quite the athletes as well. They, too, played basketball before focusing on football — Ronnie is an All-Pro left tackle for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and Robert played defensive end at Fresno State.

But the younger Stanley forged her own path on the basketball court.

Her mother fondly recalled her first two years of organized basketball, during which she played on boys teams — along with her daughter’s first game against archrival Centennial, a 60-59 victory on Jan. 22, 2013.

“That happens to be my favorite moment of her basketball career,” Juli Stanley said.

There have been plenty of moments to choose from.

Stanley blossomed at Gorman into a dominant post presence, earning All-State honors and leading the Gaels in scoring three straight years. She also helped them reach the state tournament three times and bypassed the opportunity to play in the Pac-12 at Arizona State to sign with Loyola Marymount, where she felt a sense of comfort away from the court.

She played sparingly her first three years, earning an occasional start and showing flashes of her ability. But an exodus of seniors paved a path for Stanley to start, and she responded by averaging a career-high 9.5 points on 50.2 percent shooting to go with 4.5 rebounds as the Lions’ only senior.

“She really bought into the commitment of being the leader we need,” Loyola Marymount coach Charity Elliott said. “Her leadership, her all-in kind of mentality with the team, she’s really done a great job with the freshman that we’ve had. … Everybody really trusts Raychel. They trust her on the floor. They trust her off the floor.”

Stanley isn’t sure what she’s going to do after graduating from Loyola Marymount in the spring. She might attend graduate school and pursue a profession as a sports psychologist. Or she might explore professional basketball opportunities abroad.

But she’s still figuring that out, knowing only she’s thankful for one last curtain call in her hometown.

“It’s been really special,” Stanley said. “It’s ending where it all started.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.