Feb. 9, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion signee Ariel Edwards (Elmont, N.Y./Christ the King) is one of 20 players that has been selected to play in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-America Game presented by Nike. The game will take place on Saturday, April 3 in San Antonio, Texas as part of the Women's Final Four festivities.
Edwards is the only Big Ten recruit on the WBCA All-America team and will begin her Lady Lion career in 2010-11. This is the second consecutive year that Penn State has had a representative at the WBCA All-America Game with Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) participating in last year's game in St. Louis. Edwards becomes the ninth Lady Lion to be selected as a WBCA All-American, joining the likes of Kim Calhoun, Tina Nicholson, Helen Darling and current assistant coach Maren Walseth.
"I am thrilled for Ariel to receive such a great honor. Her outstanding high school career has proven that she deserves to be listed among the county's elite players," head coach Coquese Washington said. "We are excited to add Ariel to the list of Lady Lions that has participated in this prestigious All-America Game."
The players who have been chosen will be divided into two teams of 10 players. The college-style regulation game is scheduled to tip off at 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 3, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This year's event will be the first to be played on the same court as the Women's Final Four.
"The future of women's basketball looks bright when you consider the 20 members of this year's High School All-America Team," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "I always look forward to watching this group in action at the WBCA High School All-America Game presented by Nike. It will be even more exciting for both spectators and the team with the change of venue to the NCAA Women's Final Four floor!"
This marks the 19th year that the WBCA has sanctioned a girls' high school all-America team. The inaugural WBCA's High School All-America Game was held April 17, 1992 at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. The second and third annual games were also played at Oman Arena. The 1995 game, which marked the beginning of Nike's title sponsorship, was played in Altoona, Penn. The event moved east to Philadelphia in 1996 and south to Nashville in 1997. The game was then held in Hartford, Conn. from 1998 until 2002. The game made its debut as part of the "WBCA Night of All-Stars" in 2003 and now stands on its own at the site of the WBCA National Convention each year.
Edwards is one of four newcomers in Coquese Washington's 2010 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 20 by ESPN HoopGurlz. Edwards is joined by Maggie Lucas (Narbeth, Pa./ Germantown Academy). Talia East (Philadelphia, Pa./Friends' Central) and transfer Mia Nickson (Ashburn, Va./Notre Dame Academy/Boston College).
The Lady Lions host Minnesota on Thursday at 7 p.m. Penn State will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day with members of the Penn State women's sports teams on the concourse signing autographs before the game. It is also THON night for the Lady Lions and for each single-game Penn State student ticket purchased, $5 will be donated to THON. Single-game tickets can be purchased by calling the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.
The 2010 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State took place on Sunday, Jan. 24 when the Lady Lions take on Illinois in the Bryce Jordan Center. The first three Pink Zone events have raised more than $80,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information or to donate online to the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.
The Lady Lions hold several camps throughout the summer. There is a Lady Lion Basketball Camp available for girls of all ages, ranging from shooting camp to elite camp. The 2010 Lady Lion Basketball Camp schedule is as follows: Shooting Camp (June 13-15), Elite Camp (June 20-22), Skills Camp (June 20-23), Total Package Team Camp (June 24-26) and Games Galore Team Camp (August 6-8). For more information on Lady Lion Basketball Camps, please visit psusportscamps.com and click on Lady Lion Basketball Camp.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow head coach Coquese Washington (@psucoachquese), sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and assistant coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook. Search Lady Lion Basketball and become a fan.