June 2, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion basketball coach Coquese Washington has been elected as the Treasurer of the Executive Committee for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), taking over for Terri Mitchell of Marquette. Washington, who has served on the WBCA Board of Directors since 2008, will begin her three-year term as treasurer at the August Board of Directors meeting.
"It's very exciting to be able to serve the women's basketball community as a member of the executive committee," Washington said. "Working with the rest of WBCA Board to help continue to grow our game will be a fantastic experience."
Additionally the WBCA announced the election of Cleve Wright, Gannon University (Division II/Group I) to the Board of Directors in 2010 and the re-election of Beth Burns, San Diego State University (Division I/At Large); and Sue Semrau, Florida State University (Division I/At Large). The WBCA Board of Directors develops policies, procedures and regulations for the operation of the organization. They also monitor the organization's financial health, programs and overall performance and provide the chief executive officer with the resources to meet the needs of those the organization serves.
"I am delighted to have Coquese join our Executive Committee, Sue and Beth return for a second term on the Board of Directors, and Cleve as an outstanding addition to our Board," said Geno Auriemma, WBCA President and University of Connecticut head women's basketball coach. "Each of these coaches bring a great amount of experience and knowledge of our sport that will be most helpful for the WBCA membership. I'm confident that the Board will continue to make strides in building the game of women's basketball on the national level."
Washington is entering her fourth season as Penn State head coach. The Lady Lions enjoyed their best season to date under Washington, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2004-05 with a WNIT berth. The Lions also picked up their most overall wins (17) and conference wins (8) since the 2004-05 campaign en route to a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten. Penn State claimed a pair of victories over ranked opponents in #15/15 Pittsburgh and #20/23 Michigan State during the 2009-10 campaign.
The Lady Lions return three starters from a year ago. Leading the list of returnees are sophomore All-Big Ten selection Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.). Bentley was a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman team choice a year ago and was a third team honoree by the coaches. The sophomore guard finished 10th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.445), fourth in assists (4.03), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.47) and 15th in steals (1.6). Senior Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.) and sophomore Nikki Greene (Diboll, Texas) are also returning starters for the Lady Lions. Trogele led the team and was 11th in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.2). She was also fifth in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.827). Greene rejected 55 shots as a rookie, placing her ninth on Penn State's single-season chart and second on PSU's freshman season list. She finished second on the team and 12th in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.2 rpg).
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.