April 11, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Penn State Lady Lion senior guard Alex Bentley (Indianapolis, Ind.) is among the 12 prospects invited to the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm in Bristol, Conn. The draft will be held on Monday, April 15 beginning at 8 p.m. with first round coverage on ESPN with the second and third rounds airing on ESPNU. The telecast will also be available on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
In addition to Bentley, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins, Baylor's Brittney Griner, California's Layshia Clarendon, Connecticut's Kelly Faris, Ohio State's Tayler Hill, Nebraska's Lindsey Moore, Georgetown's Sugar Rodgers, Maryland's Tianna Hawkins, Oklahoma State's Toni Young and Texas A&M's Kelsey Bone were also invited to attend the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, which will be held at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
Bentley had a stellar senior season, earning honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press and the WBCA after averaging 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The three-time All-Big Ten first team choice and two-time Big Ten All-Defensive team selection led the Big Ten and is sixth nationally in steals per game at a 3.4 clip. Bentley was selected as the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award winner for the nation's outstanding female collegian 5-8 and under, joining Suzie McConnell and Helen Darling as the award winners for the Lady Lions. Additionally, she is in the top 15 in the Big Ten in scoring (11th - 14.1), assists (9th - 3.5), free throw percentage (9th - .815) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3rd - 1.8). Bentley is just the fourth player in Big Ten history to accumulate 1,500 points, 500 assists and 300 steals. She finished her career in the Top 10 in school history in steals (2nd - 325), assists (T-6th - 567) and scoring (8th - 1,786).
The Phoenix Mercury holds the top pick in the WNBA Draft presented by State Farm for the third time in franchise history. In 2004 the Mercury used the No. 1 pick to select Diana Taurasi from the University of Connecticut and in the 2007 Draft they chose Duke's Lindsey Harding. Rounding out this year's top five picks are the Chicago Sky (second), Tulsa Shock (third), Washington Mystics (fourth), and the New York Liberty (fifth).
The 2013 WNBA Draft will make history as it will be televised on prime time television for the first time in the league's 17-year history. ESPN2 will provide coverage and analysis of the first round beginning at 8 p.m. from ESPN in Bristol, Conn. ESPNU will air the second and third rounds beginning at 9 p.m. The telecast will also be available online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Host Kevin Negandhi, analysts Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck, along with reporters Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson, will handle draft coverage duties throughout the night.
WNBA.com, in addition to providing comprehensive draft-day coverage, will serve as the web destination for fans who want to track top prospects throughout the Draft.
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 2013 Lady Lion Basketball Camp schedule is as follows: Experience Camp (June 9-11), Elite Camp (June 22-23), Total Package Team Camp (June 20-22) and Games Galore Team Camp (August 2-4). For more information on Lady Lion Basketball Camps, please visit GoPSUsports.com/camps and click on Girls Basketball Camp under Summer Camps.
The Lady Lions are on Twitter. Follow sports information contact Kris Petersen (@ladylionsid) and the Lady Lions and coaches (@pennstatewbb) to get the inside scoop. The Lady Lions are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstateladylions.
About the WNBA
The WNBA - which features 12 teams and is the most successful women's professional team sports league in the world - is a unique global sports property combining competition, sportsmanship, and entertainment value with its status as an icon for social change, achievement, and diversity. The league, which counts Boost Mobile as its leaguewide marquee partner, will tip off its 17th season in the spring of 2013.
Through WNBA Cares, the WNBA is deeply committed to creating programs that improve the quality of life for all people, with a special emphasis on programs that promote a healthy lifestyle and positive body image, increase breast and women's health awareness, support youth and family development, and focus on education. For more information on the WNBA, log on to www.wnba.com.
Information from the WNBA release was used in this release