A Head Above

FRESNO, Calif. -- It started as enjoyment as a kid but when Gabby Standifer realized that she wanted to play college basketball, she turned to AAU in seventh grade. The daughter of a former player and coach, the two worked together to get her where she wanted to be.

Along with developing her overall skills on the court, what her father helped instill was a mental game that has taken her beyond any limitations she may have.

"I learned that I'm not the most athletic or fastest runner on the court so if you don't have those things, you have to be strong on the mental side," Standifer said. "That's what he always preached to me. He'd say, 'you don't have the longest arms or the highest vertical so you have to use your brain.'"

Learning to be strong mentally, she gravitated toward watching one of the best players to ever play the game, one not known for his athletic prowess. Larry Bird. Throughout her playing career, she has worn his No. 33 as she strives to embody what Bird brought to the game through outworking and outthinking more physically gifted opponents.

"He wasn't the most athletic but he was incredibly smart and worked so hard," Standifer said of Bird.

That work ethic and strong mental side has developed her into a leader, and in turn, into a winner. In three seasons on the varsity team at Argyle High School, Standifer was 110-10 and won three-straight UIL 4A Texas state championships. The final one was perhaps the biggest test of her high school career as her team lost seven games during the season.

"Last year I was the only starter from a team that won multiple state championships and I had a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing with me," she said.

"No one thought that we would get back to state after losing four seniors from the year before but we won and I think it was based a lot on talking to each other, being vocal and having good relationships with my teammates."

One dominant win after another in the playoffs, Standifer's team won six of seven games by double digits on their way to her fourth state title, but along the way, there was one moment that stood out. In double overtime of a Region II quarterfinal against Lincoln, Standifer stood under her basket with 2.2 seconds. She threw a three-quarter-court pass that fell into the hands of a teammate who hit the game-winner as Argyle advanced 65-63.

Standifer, the 2016 state tournament MVP in her first season with Argyle, has always led her team in anyway it needed. That season she played point guard as the Lady Eagles didn't have a true ball handler. It was a tough ask for the sophomore, but one that worked out.

Now back in her natural position, she saw the emergence of her younger sister Sydney. The freshman point guard led the Argyle in scoring and earned tournament MVP after scoring 22 points in the championship.

"Watching her handle the ball and break presses, and making it look so easy, I could have never done that as a freshman," the older Standifer said. "She was nervous at first but she lit it up in the end and I was so proud of her."

It was the perfect end to Standifer's high school career, a dream fulfilled for the sisters as they won a state championship together.

For now, the elder of the two has turned her attention to toward her college career at Fresno State. From being the oldest player on a team, she is now the youngest without any others to go through the experience with. Friends of hers have always had at least one if not more freshmen teammates to through the process with but Standifer is the only freshman on the Bulldogs' 2018-19 roster

"It's hard being the only one experiencing things for the first time but now that we're getting into more workouts and getting to know the girls better, I really enjoy being around them," she said.

"I'm just trying to take everything in. I don't want to push myself in and force it. I just want to do the best I can on the basketball court and hopefully everything else will come."

Quick Take: 3-point shooting
Gabby Standifer set the Argyle HS record for 3-pointers in a season with 95 in 2017. She has perfected her shot over time with the help of her father, working to combat quicker closeouts from players at the next level.

"My dad taught me how to shoot. We watch a lot of NBA players' catch-and-release speed and it's cool to see who is the fastest; players like Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. My dad said we're not going to have any dips [in my shot], you're just going up and not have any of the other stuff so that's just the way I've practiced and I think it's always helped me."

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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