A native of Cypress, Texas, Loryn Goodwin has lived in the Lone Star State the majority of her life. A three-sport athlete at Cypress Falls high school, Goodwin always knew basketball was her ticket to a college degree. Her parents told her from a young age that she was going to have to get a scholarship to go to college, so she tried different sports such as volleyball and track. But she fell in love with basketball and got an opportunity to play at the next level.
Committing to the University of North Texas, Goodwin had high hopes for her collegiate career and playing for a staff that recruited her. That all changed the minute she stepped foot on campus. The coach that recruited her, Karen Aston, left to take the head coaching job at the University of Texas after just one season at North Texas.
Despite her head coach leaving, Goodwin lit up the Sun Belt averaging 13.1 points and earning the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year. She led the Sun Belt and was second nationally with 83 steals, while also breaking the North Texas record for most three-pointers in a single season with 64. However, after the season, she decided to transfer to Butler University.
After sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, the entire Butler coaching staff was fired leaving Goodwin with yet another staff that didn’t recruit her. She stayed for the 2014-15 season and earned All-Big East honorable mention while leading the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.6 points per game. But after a season spent 1,000 miles away from her family, she felt it was time to come back to Texas and be with them. Goodwin transferred a second time, this time to the University of Texas at San Antonio.
“My grandpa was sick, and I wanted to be there with him,” said Goodwin. “My family was going through a rough time and I wanted to be back home. I put my family first and did the right thing. Everything worked out in the end.”
Moving back home turned out to be a great decision. Goodwin dominated at UTSA. She averaged 17 points, 4.5 assists and 3 steals per game, leading the Roadrunners in all three categories. She also finished second on the team in rebounds at 5.9 per game. Goodwin earned a first-team all-Conference USA pick, an all-academic selection, as well as the 2016-17 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year award.
She graduated from UTSA with her undergraduate degree but wanted to pursue a master’s degree. UTSA didn’t offer an entrepreneurship program, so she looked at other schools. Not knowing whether she was going to keep playing basketball, Goodwin found out one of her former coaches at North Texas was on staff at Oklahoma State.
She contacted Assistant Coach Ashley Davis and got her release to transfer a third time. This time she grad transferred to Oklahoma State and received a full athletic and academic scholarship. With a big-time basketball experience in mind, Goodwin got her chance to compete against top talent in the Big 12 and follow in the footsteps of her biggest mentor, Oklahoma State alumist Tiffany Bias.
“I looked up to her and tried to take in everything that she did,” said Goodwin. “I watched her film and studied how she played the game. I studied how she was able to get her teammates involved at the point guard position, and I really wanted to capitalize on everything she did to be successful. She ended up being an All-American at Oklahoma State and went to play in the WNBA.”
Goodwin followed in Bias’ footsteps at Oklahoma State and led the Cowgirls to the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 20.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game in her only season in Stillwater, earning a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 pick and honorable mention All-American status from the Associated Press. Goodwin was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year – her third such award.
In addition to Bias, Goodwin has another pro athlete giving her advice. Her cousin, Marquise, is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. He encourages Goodwin to be true to herself, ignore those who have negative opinions and to not let anything get in the way of what she is destined to do. Her journey to this point has proved that she can persevere through anything, and she knows she wouldn’t be the player she is today without the ups and downs along the way.
“I have always had to work for everything, and my parents always told me to earn anything I get,” said Goodwin. I think going through those tough times made me stronger and a better person. I do not think I would have played how I played at Oklahoma State if I was at the same university for four years. I think it took all of those transfers and all of the moves I had to make to become a better person and a better player.”
Over the course of her college career, Goodwin had a knack for dominating her competition and taking home awards – especially first year awards. But she hasn’t even started thinking about the WNBA Rookie of the Year yet. Her focus is on training camp.
“I am really just trying to make the team,” said Goodwin. “I just want to be on the roster. I really want to see my name on that 12-man roster and have a jersey with my name on the back. That is most important to me right now.”
Goodwin begins her quest for a roster spot as the Wings open training camp on April 29, with the season opener taking place in Phoenix on May 18.