by KEITH HENJA
GoPSUsports.com
amela Gissendanner was a star all throughout high school.
If you are from Western Pennsylvania and follow high school sports, you probably already know that.
Her name has graced newspapers in the Pittsburgh area since her freshman year at Clairton High School. She won the Pittsburgh Post Gazette??s Athlete of the Week her sophomore year, broke Clairton??s all time scoring record and was named Associated Press Small School Player of the Year in 2003.
Gissendanner??s jump from high school basketball to Division I basketball proved to be tougher than expected as she was no longer a big fish in a small pond, but rather a small fish in a large pond called the NCAA.
??It felt good to be a small part of something that has been so big for so many years,?? she said.
After transferring from N.C. State, Gissendanner had to redshirt one season to be in accordance with NCAA regulations. She used that year to her advantage.
??By sitting out a year, it enabled me to learn the ropes a little bit from the seniors and just really showed me what being a leader is all about,?? she said.
In her first season playing for the Lady Lions, Gissendanner was elected team co-captain.
??My responsibility as a team captain includes being a vocal leader whether it be some kind of encouragement or some type of instruction that one may need,?? she said. ??It also includes leading by example because people are always looking to see how the leaders react in a tough situation and we have to keep it all together even when it seems that things are falling apart.??
Gissendanner quickly made her presence felt in the 2005-06 season in the Big Ten, ranking ninth in the conference in scoring (14.8 ppg).
??The ACC and the Big Ten are very similar because night in and night out you are always going to find the top competition in the country knocking at your door,?? she said.
The competition has turned her into a different type of player. Though Gissendanner is still a scorer, she has become conscious of her role on the team, even if it is not being the star player.
??I just try to be there for my team in whatever they need me to do, whether it is a clutch basket, a rebound or solid defense,?? she said. ??I just try to do what is needed of me at that time.??
This type of play earned her the Tom Caldwell Award in 2006, given to the team??s ??unsung hero.??
In her second year as team co-captain, Gissendanner has continued to be a threat to opponents. She currently ranks in the top three on the team in scoring, assists and free throw percentage.
Her 6??1?? frame provides her with favorable match-ups from week to week.
??For all of my life I have been much bigger than other players around me,?? Gissendanner said. ??I am just blessed that God has given me the size that he has.??
As she continues her impressive play this season, she already knows what her role will be next season.
??Next season I will be the lone senior so a lot more responsibility will be placed in my hands alone,?? she said. ??But I am ready for the challenge.??
Another challenge that Gissendanner, a rehabilitation services major, plans to be ready for is the continuation of her basketball career after she graduates.
??God willing I would love to play basketball after college, whether it be overseas or in the WNBA,?? she said. ??However, if that doesn't happen I will be prepared for and successful in whatever else I decide to do.??