Lavish Lockers

Dwain Lanier ’79 and his wife, Gayle Lanier ’82, have been fans of Wolfpack women’s basketball for decades. Dwain was a freshman during Kay Yow’s first year, when the team played in Carmichael Gym. “I was in there a lot and I stayed around to watch them play,” he says. “I was hooked.” He met his future wife in a volleyball class in Carmichael, and they attended games together.

Today, the women’s team is long gone from Carmichael Gym and plays in a newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum. But one part of the Old Barn had remained somewhat outdated — the team’s locker room. The Laniers have given $250,000 toward a renovation and expansion of the space, expected to be complete before summer 2023.

The Laniers know about the team’s needs firsthand — they’ve hosted players and staff at their Raleigh home for dinners that included s’mores around a fire pit. “It gives us the opportunity to get to know the young ladies one on one,” Gayle says.

The new locker room will have sleeping pods, a nutrition counter and a larger players’ lounge. (Some coaches gave up office space.) “This is a big thing in recruiting,” Gayle says. “Some students coming in would mention the topnotch facilities at other universities.”

Dwain is managing partner at Pareto Consulting and Gayle retired from Duke Energy as senior vice president. Gayle notes that the new locker room will have a salon area with space for hair appliances and make-up application, something she learned was important to the players. “After they are running out there for 40 minutes,” she says, “they come back and they want to look nice.”