Gonzaga Prep graduate Olivia Mayer overcomes multiple knee injuries to continue basketball career at Whitworth

Olivia Mayer has become a double-double machine for the Whitworth women’s basketball team.

So it makes sense that she just doubled up on Northwest Conference Athlete of the Week honors, winning the award for the second time this season.

Mayer, the former Gonzaga Prep standout, had 12 points and 11 rebounds last Saturday in a 57-45 victory over George Fox. Her 13 double-doubles this season are tied for first in Division III.

Impressive numbers for a player who almost had to give up the game.

Mayer, the 6-foot forward who is averaging 17.3 points and 12.2 rebounds, suffered torn ACLs three times during an injury-plagued high school career at G-Prep.

“I played my freshman year on varsity and had a really good year,” Mayer said. “I tore my ACL going into my sophomore year, then I tore my ACL going into my junior year, and then I tore my ACL in the beginning of my senior year.”

With both of her knees dealing with repetitive injury, Mayer graduated from G-Prep in 2020 with only one season of high school basketball under her belt. The next fall, Mayer enrolled at Washington State University and decided to give up playing.

“I just always knew I wanted to play in college,” Mayer said. “There was no thought of quitting until the third tear. That’s when I decided to take a break.”

That itch to play returned, and after her freshman year at WSU, Mayer transferred to Whitworth.

Last season, Mayer averaged 11.8 points and six rebounds while playing just over 18 minutes a game for the Pirates.

This season, Mayer has played a team-leading 32.9 minutes per game and has had 10 or more rebounds in each game the Pirates have played.

“Everyone has been pretty welcoming from last year,” Mayer said. “So the more time we get together, the more comfortable we become. My teammates have done a great job of encouraging me to be dominant.”

Mayer also credits head coach Kenny Love for her uptick in physical play. In Love’s first season at Whitworth, he has had a front-row seat to Mayer’s growth and success.

“Last year, my coach kind of altered my playing time a lot,” Mayer said. “I think Kenny trusts me a little more and now my teammates trust me enough to pass the ball more.”

“She’s somebody who has renewed energy and excitement,” Love said. “The joy that the game brings to her is one of the best things for not only her, but also her teammates.”

That energy, teammate Quincy McDeid said, has helped bring the Pirates together.

“It’s just the way she carries herself,” McDeid said. “She is unstoppable, and yet her mild manner and encouragement to the rest of us is what can shift a team.”

Despite a 5-10 overall record, Mayer said her team has shown remarkable improvement this season. The Pirates travel to Willamette on Friday and Linfield on Saturday.

“I really hope that we can keep winning and actually get into the conference tournament,” Mayer said.

“We’re very capable of beating teams we’ve lost to earlier in the season. The field is all pretty even and we definitely have the capability of getting there.”