Of all the Chico State women’s basketball players that were affected by the COVID-19 cancellation of the 2020–21 season, Shay Stark was perhaps one of the hardest hit. For years, hoops had been the center of her life, and the senior guard perceived the pandemic as a threat to what she had hoped would be a crowning climax to her college career. But during the fall and winter months, Stark continued working towards her psychology degree while moving a bit outside her comfort zone, experiencing her first real taste of life without basketball. Stark’s personal development off the court makes her the latest Wildcat of the Week.
“(Not playing basketball) definitely involved some mental anguish,” Stark said. “I miss it so much. Basketball has been the majority of my life. It’s been a tough adjustment, but I’ve tried to use this time to navigate certain aspects of my life that I haven’t really dealt with before.”
Not being able to compete in the friendly confines of Acker Gym has been just one change Stark has experienced. After traveling back and forth between Chico and her mother’s house in Manteca during the fall, she made a big change by moving to La Pine, Oregon. She divides her time between online studies and a job in nearby Bend.
“I am an aide in an assisted living facility,” Stark explained. “I serve the elderly food and get them the things they need to be comfortable. I enjoy it. It’s the giving of oneself that makes the job feel special.”
Stark began the fall with her fingers crossed that at least some of the Wildcats’ 2020–21 season could be salvaged.
“I definitely was holding out hope,” she said. “When you’re as passionate about something as I am about basketball, you can’t give up hope.”
As a result, December’s official announcement cancelling all Chico State athletic competition was a real blow.
“I cried,” Stark said. “It was heart-wrenching, especially when I thought about how our season ended (in 2019–20). I was hoping to have a redemption season for my last year.”
But the two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection vowed to remain positive, and has used this forced free time to expand her horizons and concentrate of personal growth.
“(Life without basketball) has taught me a lot about valuing my mental health and how important it is to take time for myself. It’s a bittersweet thing, of course, but I’m happy where I am in my life right now.”
If Stark never plays another minute, she has a whole host of Wildcat highlights to look back on. She points to the January 13, 2018 game against Cal Poly Pomona as one of her favorites.
“It was like my breakout game,” Stark recalls. “I was a freshman, and (Wildcats Head Coach) Brian Fogel told me before going into the game to just ignore any fears and let everything go.” Shay dominated the floor during her 23 minutes of action, hitting six of seven field goal attempts—including two 3-pointers—and pulled down four rebounds in Chico State’s 71-59 win over the Broncos.
Stark’s career-high 29 point game versus Cal State East Bay during the 2018–19 season is another game she remembers fondly.
“That first year as a freshman gave me the confidence to do what I did in that East Bay game,” Stark said. “It solidified the confidence of delivering (the performance) I knew I was capable of.”
Though Stark could knock down shots from the perimeter, it was her skill at driving to the bucket that gave the opposition fits.
“I can’t tell you the amount of times in the last three years I’ve seen opposing coaches talking to their players and looking at me,” Stark said. “It was a testament to how I played. I was the driver getting to the line. It showed that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. I can thank Coach (Fogel) for that.”
Fogel and assistant coach Meghan de los Reyes hold a special place in Stark’s heart.
“They’ve really been a rock for me,” Stark said. “They’ve been parents away from home. I know I can always call them for advice and they’d help with anything. They’re really good people to have in your corner.”
Stark continues to stay in contact with her teammates via Zoom meetings and follows each of them through social media. Sharing time with her fellow Wildcats—especially on the road—is something she really misses.
“I miss the traveling part during the season,” Stark said. “I liked going to the opposing team’s territory and trying to conquer it. It was a chance to get closer to your teammates and having that time to bond.”
Stark has embraced her online classes, and doesn’t mind learning at home as opposed to a classroom.
“It’s been easier for me because I’m a bit introverted,” Stark said. “Being in class, everyone can look at you while you’re talking. For me, it’s nice to have a little anonymity on a Zoom lecture. I feel freer to share and discuss in classes.”
In what little free time she has, Stark has taken up snowboarding (“something I thought I would never do,” she says), and indulges in binge-watching TV shows.
Grown-ish on Hulu and
The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix have been two recent favorites.
Stark has also been doing her best to stay in shape and keep her basketball skills sharp.
“I played on blacktop when I was visiting my family,” Stark said. “Even here in Oregon, I bought a basketball hoop for my driveway. I’ve been doing a lot of in-home exercising, and watching a lot of basketball highlights across all levels of competition. I do that to keep my basketball IQ at a high level so I can apply it physically.”
Thanks to the COVID-cancelled 2020–21 season, Stark still has one more year of athletic eligibility remaining. Will she return to the Chico State women’s basketball team next fall?
“I haven’t decided yet whether to come back for another season,” Stark said. “But if playing again is in the cards, I’m all for it.”
Wildcat fans are certainly hoping Stark gets that redemption season she was looking for, and that they’ll once again get to see No. 21 flying down the Acker Gym court this fall.
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