The Academy of Art University women's basketball team has enjoyed its best season since 2008 and one Urban Knight has had the satisfaction of watching the program grow into a winner. Senior guard Lorraine Etchell, soon to be the first four-year athlete for ART U women's basketball, has given her heart and soul to Academy of Art, pioneering the program by working in a variety of roles both on and off the court. As the Urban Knights progress this year and beyond, Etchell's inspiring career will be everlastingly celebrated.

“I have been so blessed with this truly unique opportunity to make history,” Etchell said. “I was able to be thrown right into the fire as a freshman and got to fill a leadership role that any other freshman collegiate athlete would kill to have.”

“When I first got here, Lorraine was one of the first girls I met,” head coach LaNay Larson said. “I will forever appreciate her willingness to buy into what we are doing and our program philosophies. I feel like she set the tone and the rest followed and that is a big reason that we have had the success we have had right away.”

Over the course of her four years at ART U, Etchell has simply done it all. Etchell will complete her Academy of Art career this Saturday as the program's leader in total points (828), field goals made (301), games played (98), games started (72), and minutes played (2,311). Her name can also be found in the Top 5 of several other career lists such as assists (156 - 3rd), steals (107 - 3rd), and blocks (22 - 5th) which only exemplifies her versatility as a player.

“Each year, our team has undergone a transformation,” Etchell said, reflecting on the previous seasons. “There have only been a few returners each year with at least half the team consisting of new girls and having a sort of 'starting from scratch' feeling. But you know what? I am so grateful that I came to this program during this time. I have learned so much by having to be a chameleon and roll with the adversities that come with not having facilities or a central campus; having to morph my role each year as we recruit new talent so I can add value in every way I can.”

Etchell knows, just like assistant coach and former teammate Sondra Stilwell knows, the many challenges involved with being one of the original Urban Knights. With a perspective that has contributed to the tremendous growth of both individuals over the past few years, Etchell and Stilwell have a connection which runs far deeper than average teammates. In addition to being artists, they are true creators of the tradition of fortitude at Academy of Art.

“When I am identified as one of the original members of the 2008 team, I think of Sondra Stilwell because she is the only one who was with me the very first day of workouts the summer before our first season,” Etchell fondly recalled. “I know that she and I have so much pride in this program because we have seen it come so far. There isn't one day that I ride the bus to practice and look around at the girls, take a deep breath, and smile. Because these girls and this program today are my reward. All of the hard work that Sondra and I have put in has helped push this team to where it is now, and this year we are doing great things.”

“Unless you were there from the beginning, no one can really know what this journey has been like with the hurdles we have overcome and the obstacles we faced every day,” Coach Stilwell said. “Lorraine and I were here from the start. We have seen the beginning, established the culture, and are creating the future. Lorraine is the history of the Urban Knights. As a freshman, she came in and set the standard for what our women's basketball program stands for and I couldn't be more proud and thankful to have been part of this journey with her. The success of our season thus far is a testament to the program that she has helped established.”

Could Etchell have known the journey which awaited her when she came in as a freshman? A young and accomplished two-sport athlete out of Ursuline High School, Etchell left her home in Healdsburg, CA for the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. In addition to the dynamic city life, this was an ever-growing Academy of Art University athletics program she was stepping into. As she has done throughout her career, Etchell remained positive and energetic through it all despite the trials and tribulations which arose in year one.

“Obviously the first year we had to work through the most adversity like gym time, bus times, injuries, being short in numbers, and straight up talent,” Etchell said. “Beyond the basketball life of college the first year, the school in itself felt disconnected. I really believe that athletics has brought the school together. It is the ambient presence of pride that athletics has created which can't help but bring people together.”


“It has been a very cool experience to be able to see the influence an athletics program has on the whole University from birth; an experience that very few will have,” Etchell said. “As far the timeline goes, from my freshman year to now on the team, I have had to mold into different roles with new teammates and even new coaches. My freshman and sophomore years, I felt very empowered to have so much presence. I felt that I filled a very dynamic role compared to now. Because of our lack in numbers and level of talent at the time, I felt that I was able to be the scorer, the defender, the energy at practice every day, the person that worked the hardest at every drill, and ultimately the person who was going to shape the standard of Academy of Art women's basketball.”


“By my junior year, things were shifting a bit,” Etchell recalls. “We had more players and more talented players so my role of 'I get to do it all' naturally was molding into a more defined piece of a whole. For a period of time during my junior year, I was kind of unorganized and it really translated into my basketball life. Among the many things that Coach Yamasaki taught me during her time here was that anyone can add value to the whole. Even if it is not in the way that you may have imagined, a good teammate will always add value and never the opposite. So it pushed me to give everything I had in the places that I could. I chose not to become a victim of my situation. Enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and a loud voice can go a long way. As a senior looking back at that year, sure there are certain things that I wish would have went differently, but I learned so much about my own character and what it means to be a true teammate that I wouldn't change the experience.”

For her unique three-year progression, Etchell has continued to move courageously forward as a senior. With new head coach LaNay Larson at the helm and throughout a challenging non-conference season in 2011-12, the Urban Knights began to see that this could be a very special year early on. ART U started by defeating Cal State East Bay on Nov. 11, then went on to win both games in the Dixie State Tournament (Nov. 25-26), and put away Saint Martin's in the squad's Dec. 14 home opener which saw Etchell score a game-high 16 points. The 2012 calendar year would also begin in exciting fashion as Academy of Art topped Dixie State (Jan. 3) to set the tone for what would be a memorable conference season.

“This year, I got a fresh start,” Etchell said. “We have a new coach, a new team, and a new mindset. I don't think it is because we are super athletes compared to the other years, I just think that it is because we have the mindset that we ARE already one of the top teams, not just working towards being one. We are no longer a surprise. This mindset kicked in when we won the Dixie State Tournament. It was so awesome to win our first tournament in this program's history at Coach Larson's old home gym, and then we beat Dixie State for the first time at our home. Once you know what it feels like to be a winner, that's the only feeling you want to identify with. I am so blessed to have been a part of the growth.”

Late in this year's campaign, Etchell has continued her vocal leadership in whatever the situation might be. Throughout the Urban Knights' nine-game win streak, in tough losses, and as Academy of Art knocked off No. 16 Grand Canyon on Feb. 13, Etchell could always be found encouraging her teammates and remaining focused on the task at hand. Not only that, she is also serving as vice president in this, her fourth year as a member of the ART U Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

“Lorraine is not only an extremely coachable basketball player, she is an amazing teammate and that in particular speaks volumes to who she is,” Coach Stilwell said. “Her constant enthusiasm for the game and her unrelenting pride for this program set her apart. She is the epitome of an Urban Knight; passionate about her work and passionate about the game of basketball. She is, and always will be, one of the original pillars that founded the Urban Knights.”

Etchell, an ever humble individual who has pursued her work in Interior Architecture & Design with the same resolve as she has approached games on the court, knows her opportunity to play basketball at ART U would not have occurred without the determination by Academy of Art University President Elisa Stephens and Director of Athletics Dr. Jamie Williams to wed art and athletics some five years ago.

“I can't tell anyone enough how much I appreciate Dr. Williams and President Stephens for making their vision a reality,” Etchell said. “I am in love with my life here at the Academy and it would not have been possible without the huge risk that they took for this program.”

Having accomplished so much as a trailblazer for Academy of Art University women's basketball, Etchell will always be remembered fondly by her Urban Knights family.

“Lorraine has been great to coach,” Coach Larson said. “Her positive attitude is contagious and she never takes a practice off. She truly enjoys the game of basketball and has worked so hard to improve her game. And Lorraine is just such a fun person to be around, she is always smiling. I couldn't ask for a better senior captain to help lead this team.”

“Lorraine is one of the few student-athletes who can say that they started at an intercollegiate basketball program that went from the lowly 'dirty dozen' to the 'magnificent eight!'” Dr. Williams said. “She has been integral to the success of women's basketball [at Academy of Art University]. More importantly, Lorraine will work in the field of Interior Architecture… No doubt, because she is good. I am quite proud of this local small-town kid who has made it in the Big City!”