SPOKANE, Wash. — When Gonzaga senior guard Jessie Loera got the news the NCAA Tournament was canceled, she was hard pressed to believe it.
Like many, she thought the tournament would be postponed, but just like that, her playing days at Gonzaga came to an end.
She finished top five in assists in program history and cherished all the memories of what she called the best four years of her life.
"I knew right off the bat it was the perfect fit," the former Moses Lake High School standout said. "Obviously I'm not far from home, but this place made me feel like I was at home. We have so many memories, we accomplished so much and it's an experience I will never forget."
Loera saw playing time from her freshman year to her senior year. Four seasons, four conference regular season championships at Gonzaga. The success was perennial, and what it led to was Jessie Loera's favorite part.
"It was the tournaments for sure winning the West Coast Conference (tournaments), playing in the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament," Loera said. "You work so hard through season and then and now you're playing at these tournaments competing for something more."
That's what makes losing a senior season's postseason run a tough pill to swallow.
"We can't control what happened, and that's the hardest part," she said.
It was a season where the team reached its highest Associated Press Poll ranking ever. It was also likely the team was possibly going to host games in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite a sudden ending, Loera has had time to reflect on her four years at Gonzaga. The camaraderie of a community and team is something she'll cherish for the rest of her life.
She had one final thank you to Zag Nation.
""It meant a lot and we appreciate it so much," she said. "We are thankful and you made the opportunity and experience here at Gonzaga more than it was."
Loera said if the NCAA does allow seniors in winter sports to return one more season she absolutely would, That decision will come on March 30.
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