Teryn Gardner, Mead's all-state girls basketball point guard, gives Boise State University an oral commitment
It can be difficult giving up what you first love.
Entering her teenager years, all Teryn Gardner could think about was playing basketball at Gonzaga University.
In fact, she and her family drove from Great Falls, Montana to watch many of the Zags' home games - until they moved to Spokane a couple years later.
But when it came time to make a decision on her playing career, the all-state point guard from Mead High School began seeing a different road.
And that took her to making a decision Tuesday when she gave Boise State University a verbal pledge as its first women's basketball commit in the class of 2024.
"It wasn't until pretty recently when I wanted to try something else," Gardner said. "It's weird how it changes like that."
After being contacted by Boise State nearly a year ago, Gardner and her mother, Kelli, visited campus during the university's homecoming week in early October.
"After Mom and I came out of that," Gardner said, "it felt right from then on."
Weeks after leading Mead to the WIAA Class 3A semifinals in the Tacoma Dome, and a third-place showing in the tournament, Gardner was offered by the Broncos after another unofficial campus visit.
By this summer, it came down to Boise State and Gonzaga - and the Broncos won out.
"They have gotten to know me as a person," Gardner said. "That was more important than anything in my book."
Gardner is coming off a splendid junior season - one in which she took over the point-guard role for the first time.
The 4A/3A Greater Spokane League most valuable player averaged 25.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in her first full season running the show. She was selected to SBLive WA's all-classification, all-state first team for 2022-23.
Gardner is also a Mead standout in soccer and track and field.
The Broncos' roster has four current players who are from Washington, including 2021-22 all-state MVP Tatum Thompson, from Woodinville, and 1A all-state forward Trista Hull, of La Salle in Yakima.
