Wright State forward Tayler Stanton has been cleaning up the boards this season as one of nation’s leading rebounders in women’s college basketball with 11.6 per game, which is good enough for ninth overall in Division I. On the floor, Stanton is a fierce rebounder, but off it she has a softer side with her charity work.
Stanton is currently working on her masters in public administration, which is geared towards government and non-profit organizations.
“The basic thing that I want to do when I get my degree is to make a difference,” said Stanton.
Over the years Stanton has been doing volunteer work for several organizations, including work with the NAACP and another organization in Los Angeles.
“This summer I volunteered with a group for a project called Urban Project Los Angeles, and I worked with kids in the inner-city projects,” Stanton said.
On the floor, Stanton’s rebounding ability can be a spark plug for the performance of the entire team, according to WSU head coach Mike Bradbury.
“It’s an important piece to how we play and a lot of times it will give us some extra energy. It’s very important to our team,” said Bradbury.
The talent on the boards that Stanton displays is something that cannot simply be taught through practice, according to Bradbury.
“I think it’s more of a natural ability. It’s not really anything we have taught her. You just have to have a passion to want to do it and she has that,” Bradbury said.
As for the rest of the season, Bradbury is hoping to see more of the same effort Stanton has proven to already be capable of.
“I think she has really improved and worked on her game. I think she has been really good so far and hopefully she can play the second half of the season like she did the first,” Bradbury said.
Even with natural ability, Stanton does still find constant practice a significant factor in staying sharp with her ability to get in an ideal position for rebounds.
“When it comes to rebounding, not only do I have to get the ones that come to me, but I have to get the ones that go all over the place. I have to practice moving around people,” said Stanton.
As defending Horizon League Conference tournament champions, the goal for the Raiders is to repeat as champions and stay together as a team.
“It’s really about winning for my teammates and making sure that we stay together through adversity,” Stanton said.
Wright State tipped off conference play with a 68-59 loss to conference rival and 16-time regular season League champion Green Bay last Wednesday. Stanton was still able to collect 13 rebounds in a game that was a battle on the boards. As a team the Raiders were out-rebounded by 12 in the game. Stanton feels that rebounding is a key determination in whether or not her team wins or losses.
“If we get out rebounded, I automatically feel that it’s my fault because that’s my job. It’s to make sure that we rebound. If rebounds are not on the top end for us, that can impact the outcome of the game.”
With the toughness that Stanton has proven to posses for rebound positioning, her mother came up with a nickname for her.
“She calls me the garbage-man because I do the dirty work.”
