Local basketball star begins Fresno State season

Fresno State’s women’s basketball team prepares for its season opener against UC Merced in less than two weeks. Ryleigh Schoonover, a freshman guard, will play her first collegiate game at the Save Mart Center. She is part of a talented incoming class for the Bulldogs.

Schoonover spent her high school career at Clovis West, where the Golden Eagles won consecutive Central Section championships for 14 years. That streak created a culture of expectation that Schoonover carried into her college decision. She chose to stay in the Central Valley rather than attend a school in another region.

Her former high school coach, Craig Campbell, noted that the program aimed to compete for the title every single year. "We want to be good every year," Campbell said. "We're not going to win it every year, but we want to be knocking on the door every year." Schoonover believes this mindset helps her adjust to the college level.

Fresno State head coach Ryan McCarthy rated Schoonover as the top local player in the 2026 recruiting class. "In my opinion, Riley was the best player in the area for her class of 2026," McCarthy said. "Riley came in and proved that right away." McCarthy added that her history of winning creates a specific expectation for her performance on the floor.

Schoonover expressed that wearing the Fresno State uniform holds personal meaning. "To wear that valley 'V' on your chest, it's something different," she said. She credited Campbell for preparing her for the intensity of McCarthy’s system, noting that "Everything is the standard" at both the high school and college levels.

The Bulldogs are competing in the Pac-12 Conference, a league where Schoonover will face higher levels of competition. McCarthy stated that Schoonover’s experience in a championship high school program has readied her for the demands of college basketball. "She played with a very good high school basketball program here, and all they did was win," he said.