Kortney Grattic is the lone senior on the CWU women’s basketball team this season and takes pride in her position.

Grattic transferred her junior year to CWU after receiving her associate’s degree at Whatcom Community College.

“Being the only senior is a great opportunity for myself because I’m able to share all my experiences, lessons, and knowledge of the game to the underclassman,” Grattic said. “I really love being that mentor figure to my teammates and making sure that they know they can come to me whenever.”

At a young age, Grattic started playing basketball, where the passion for the sport began to grow on here. After she grew to love basketball is when she decided to play competitively.

In middle school Grattic joined select basketball teams in Seattle and from there decided to continue to play in high school, and now college.

“Growing up playing basketball I wasn’t too sure if that was the sport for me because I wasn’t very talented, I just had my height as an advantage,” Grattic said.

It wasn’t until she started to play AAU, and having great coaches along the way, that she realized the potential she had to further her basketball career.

“I believe that playing in such a competitive league really prepared me for high school basketball and I made varsity my freshman year. I played varsity basketball all four years at high school, two years at Squalicum High and two years at Lynden,” said Grattic.

Her senior year she was recruited to play for Western Washington University (WWU). Once she entered her freshman year at WWU she came to struggle with her passion, and enjoyment, of basketball. After having a long talk with her family, she decided to quit basketball before the season actually started and just focus on being a student.

“After a year later I started regretting my decision on quitting, especially because of all the years spent in the sport and how disappointed it made my family after my decision I decided to contact Whatcom Community College’s Women’s basketball coach,” Grattic said.

After contacting the head coach of Whatcom Community College (WCC), also a CWU alumni, Sara Bergner, Grattic asked if she could join her team. The coach was eager to have her join and she had two great years at WCC playing basketball and volleyball.

After her second year at WCC she was recruited by Jeff Harada to come to CWU and play.

Kortney will be graduating this year with a Sociology degree and a family studies minor. She plans to grow in her career and see what the future holds for her.