An All-American girl

It was shaping up to be a typical game for Rayland Garner.

Until it wasn’t. Garner had already scored 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in just 11 minutes for Friends University in its women’s college basketball game Jan. 28 at Saint Mary.

She entered the 19th contest of her senior season at Friends averaging 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds.

She was well on her way to reaching those numbers yet again when her game was cut short.

“I was on the defensive end when I took a wrong step and it twisted awkwardly,” Garner said. “I didn’t know something wasn’t right. I’ve been hurt playing this game a lot of times.”

Garner was hoping her wrong step was just a tweak.

Then the pain worsened after the game.

“At first, I was hoping it was just something minor,” she said. “But once I got checked out, it was clear the injury was serious.”

That January game proved to be the end of her basketball career, but far from the end of the Ray Garner story.

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Unfortunately, knee injuries are not new to Garner.

After starting at Kingfisher High School during her sophomore season, Garner suffered a torn ACL prior to her junior campaign, causing her to miss the entire year.

That road to recovery in 2020-21 benefited Garner in 2026.

“That experience helped me understand how serious knee injuries can be and what recovery looks like,” she said.

Garner did recover. She returned for her senior season in 2021-22, which was also Taylor Young’s first season at the helm of the Lady Jacket program.

Garner averaged 14.1 points and 6.0 rebounds a game to help lead KHS back to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in 13 seasons.

For her efforts, Garner was selected to the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-State team and earned All-Western Athletic Conference first team among other honors.

She also - pardon the pun garnered college interest.

Eventually Garner chose Friends University in the Wichita, Kan., area.

She didn’t head north alone.

Also attending Friends would be Cami Snodgrass, a fellow 2022 KHS grad with whom Garner had struck a lasting friendship.

Young was a Division I basketball player and saw a lot of potential in Garner.

“Even though I only had one year with her, I knew her athleticism and physicality were going to help her transition over to have a successful collegiate career,” Young said.

She was right. By Garner’s sophomore year, she was hauling in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) firstteam honors.

She averaged 17.5 points and 6.9 rebounds a game.

After being limited to 19 games as a junior, Garner was back on a tear during the 2025-26 campaign.

Garner scored in double figures in all but three games, one of them being the one in which she was injured.

She scored a career-high 34 points in her team’s 8075 win at Columbia (Mo.) on New Year’s Eve. Her performance helped Friends erase a nine-point deficit in the final 3:37.

Garner also had 10 rebounds in the game.

“I believe her performance against Columbia this year was one of the most amazing individual performances I’ve seen,” said Friends head coach Dean Jaderston.Five other times Garner scored 20 or more points.

That included 28 on Nov. 19 against Oklahoma Wesleyan. Her point total that night helped her eclipse 1,000 for her career.

She grabbed double-digit rebounds seven different times, including a season- high 13 on Nov. 5 against Hastings.

But she didn’t get to finish the season as she missed her team’s last 10 games.

“It was definitely emotional,” Garner said. “Basketball has been a huge part of my life for a long time, so realizing my season and career ended because of an injury was tough to accept.”

Garner admits her initial emotions were disappointment and frustration.

“But I also tried to stay grateful for the opportunities and experiences I had throughout my career.”

That career had a lot to do with her decision to attend the small university in Kansas.

“I’m very happy with my decision to attend Friends University,” Garner said. “My time there has been a great experience both on and off the court. I’ve built strong relationships with teammates, coaches and people around the program.

“Even though the ending wasn’t how I imagined it, I’m proud of what I accomplished and am grateful for everything basketball gave me.”

Prior to Garner’s injury, Friends went 18-3. Afterward, the team was 6-4, but still advanced to the NAIA National Championship Tournament.

It was the first time Friends reached the national tournament since 2018.

Despite being injured, Garner helped make that happen with her performances this season.

The NAIA took notice. On top of once again earning All-KCAC honors, it was announced on March 30 that Garner was named to the NAIA Women’s Basketball All-America team as a third-team pick.

“Rayland is certainly well-deserving of All-American,” said Jaderston. “She is one of those players who changed the game for the entire team, making everyone on the floor with her better.

“Her ability to bounce back from adversity and move on to the next play was one of the biggest elements of our success this year. In her four years at Friends she became a force at both ends of the floor and it was fun to see her excel this year.

“She guarded every position on the floor, allowing us to pressure all over the court. Maybe the most fun to watch was her ability to score at any time.”

Garner has scored off the court as well.

Basketball may be over for her, but life is just starting.

She’s set to earn her degree in marketing and business administration.

After graduating, she wants to pursue a career in marketing “where I can use my creativity and business skills.”

“Long term, I’d like to work in marketing or branding and possibly grow into leadership roles in the business world.”

She said she’s ready for that because of her support system, her basketball career and her life path that led her to Friends.

“College has helped me grow a lot as a person. Balancing school, basketball and other responsibilities taught me discipline, time management and leadership,” Garner said. “I’ve also learned how to handle challenges and stay focused on my goals.

“Overall, I’ve become more confident and prepared for the next stage of my life.”