There was a time — a very brief time, as it turned out — when Alayna Gribble was at peace with putting an end to her basketball career.
After all, by the time she was 21, Gribble had accomplished more than most student-athletes manage in a lifetime.
She was the all-time leading scorer at Norwin (1,782 points), graduated in 2016, received a scholarship to Pitt and was well on her way to earning three degrees (a double major in accounting and business information systems with a minor in administration of justice).
More than anything, there were those three concussions suffered in a span of less than three years at Pitt.
“Your brain is nothing to mess around with,” Gribble said. “I thought that was the best option, to stop playing.”
After the first four games of the 2018-19 season, Pitt coach Lance White and the school’s doctors decided to medically disqualify Gribble. But the headaches disappeared not long after that, and she started remembering how much she loved the game.
She said doctors at UPMC cleared her to return to basketball eight months ago, and Monday morning, she committed to Saint Joseph’s of the Atlantic 10.
“Being an athlete my whole life and playing basketball for so long,” she said, “I realized how much I really missed it.
“I’ve been working out since then, playing basketball, pickup (games), lifting, conditioning to make sure I felt healthy enough to play college basketball again.
“I didn’t want to make any quick decisions. I wanted to make sure I was healthy and felt good.”
Gribble didn’t play this season, but she was one of three seniors honored at the last home game Feb. 23. After the season, she placed her name in the NCAA transfer portal and started planning the rest of her career.
@WPABruinsAAU alumni @Alaynagribble30 has transferred to @SJUHawks_WBB - Congratulations Alayna! #BruinsNation pic.twitter.com/cnbPt0esay
— WPABruinsAAU (@WPABruinsAAU) March 30, 2020
She said there’s more excitement among herself and her family than apprehension.
“I wanted to make sure I was healthy and feeling good before anything else,” she said. “The faith I had in (her doctors) reassured me. They wouldn’t clear me for no reason.”
Gribble said Providence, Ohio, Vanderbilt and Duquesne also reached out to her, but the coaching staff at Saint Joseph’s made the difference, she said.
Suiting up for a new team will create “a mix of emotions, mostly excitement,” she said.
She will be immediately eligible for 2020-21 and will apply to the NCAA for a waiver to play in 2021-22 after playing only two full seasons at Pitt.
“One thing that fuels me is having that chip on my shoulder, something that’s going to make me work harder in practice,” she said.
“Getting back on the court and learning the new style of playmaking, that adjustment is going to be hard, but I’m up for it.”
