March 2, 2014
By Mike Esse, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - When senior guard Ariel Edwards was asked what single word would describe her Penn State career her answer was automatic. She chose the word growth.
That makes sense if you take a look at her career numbers. She went from being a role player her freshman year to a main contributor and team captain her senior year where she averages 14.9 points and 31.9 minutes per game.
However, that isn't the growth Edwards was talking about. She was referring to the growth of the Lady Lion basketball program, which has always come before herself.
"From when our senior class first got here the program isn't where it was now," Edwards said. "Seeing how far it has come in four years since I've been here is amazing. It's definitely rewarding to see how much we have grown."
So when coaches and teammates choose words to describe Edwards, the most commonly used word? Selfless.
While it is obvious just by talking to her, Edwards isn't here for personal accomplishments or accolades. If she was, she probably would have complained after not becoming a full time starter until her senior season. Edwards never did so.
It's been about her teammates and coaches and what she can do to help the team win basketball games. That's what assistant coach Kia Damon likes most about Edwards personal growth. Not the numbers or statistics, but how she has been a team first player and now a team leader in her senior campaign.
"She is able to be vocal to the younger players and help them understand the level they need to perform at for the team," Damon said. "She's also really good with the senior group by sharing her opinions and being vocal on the things she sees and recognizes that the group needs to do."
Edwards says it's so easy to be that type of player because of the trust she had in her coaching staff and teammates since her first day on campus. She blossomed into what Damon calls the "x-factor" of this Penn State team that claimed at least a share of its third straight Big Ten regular season title on Saturday with a 77-62 win over Michigan.
On the floor, Edwards has evolved into a versatile threat on both ends of the floor, which is why that label Damon gave her senior captain is very fitting. Edwards ranks in the top two on the team in points and rebounds and third in minutes, while anchoring the very strong Lady Lion defense.
"She is able to do so much for us from an offensive and defensive standpoint," Damon said. "She can play guard or forward, she can rebound or point our press break and do a lot of things defensively. We use her versatility offensively because we are able to post her up, put her in one-on-one situations, run her off screens and she allows us to manipulate our offense in a lot of different ways."
For the senior, she aims the credit toward her teammates in terms of why she has developed on the court.
"It's always great to be surrounded by great players," Edwards said. "I feel like on the court I've got so many other talented people out there with me and that's a great feeling to feel like your teammates have your back."
Her teammates have her back because she has always had theirs right from the start
"I'm very lucky to have her as a teammate," fellow senior Maggie Lucas said.
It's that simple for Ariel Edwards. Her selflessness has not gone unnoticed in her four years at Penn State and it's all coming full circle as her team heads into the postseason with a share of their third straight Big Ten regular season title.