When selecting the inaugural class of the Carondelet Athletics Hall of Fame, it did not take long to bring up the name Jayne Appel Marinelli ’06. A standout player on the basketball court, Jayne played at the highest levels of the sport and continues to excel as a leader in her sport to this day.
Jayne’s father, Joseph Appel, played college basketball at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, so basketball was in her blood since the day she was born. Jayne came to Carondelet High School in the Fall of 2002, and quickly made in impact within the athletic program. A two-sport athlete in basketball and water polo, she was a four-time varsity letter winner in basketball and a three-time letter winner in water polo.
As a senior, Jayne was selected as a McDonald’s All-American and a WBCA All-American, and she earned the top honor in state, when she was named the 2006 California Gatorade Player of the Year. After receiving scholarship offers from the top collegiate programs in the country (Connecticut, Tennessee, Duke, UCLA and Stanford), she continued her outstanding career for the Stanford Cardinal.
Her outstanding play continued at the college level, where she helped Stanford advance to the NCAA Final Four three times in her four years on “The Farm.” Jayne made an immediate impact with the Cardinal, as she was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2007. She was a three-time First Team All-Pac-10 selection, was named the 2009 Pac-10 Player of the Year, and the earned the 2010 Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was also recognized as one of the nation’s top players, earning back-to-back All-American honors in 2009 and 2010. She graduated as the Pac-10’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,263 rebounds, which currently ranks fourth in the Pac-12 Conference record books.
After completing her stellar collegiate career, Jayne joined the professional ranks, when she was picked fifth overall by the San Antonio Stars in the 2010 WNBA Draft. Jayne made an immediate impact with the team and in the league, garnering a WNBA All-Star selection as a rookie. She played seven seasons with the Stars, before retiring after the 2016 season.
Jayne competed at the international level as well. As a member of a number of USA Basketball teams, she won a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships, a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA America U18 Championship.
Currently, Jayne works as the works for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association as the Associate Director of Player Relations. Jayne is married to Chris Marinelli and the couple have a daughter named Shea.