UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- From an early age, Penn State women's basketball newcomer Ali Brigham always knew she wanted to take her athleticism to the collegiate level.
Inspired by her dad who played collegiate basketball at George Washington University, Brigham followed in his footsteps to start off her college career at GW, before coming to Penn State this season after her freshman campaign. She finished off at George Washington with a scoring average of 11.9 points per game and led her team with a 50.4 field goal percentage before becoming a Lady Lion.
"I came to Penn State first for the coaches," said Brigham. "Everything they wanted to accomplish aligned with what I wanted to achieve as a player and teammate."
Head coach Carolyn Kieger's determination to become a contender for the NCAA tournament is what sold Brigham. But the camaraderie that comes with becoming a Penn State athlete along with the teammates who welcomed her from day one also instantly made Happy Valley feel like home.
"Getting her was an awesome fit for us," said Kieger on Brigham's arrival to Happy Valley. "She's an awesome teammate, she's exactly the type of player you want on your team and she's going to be a great leader for us in the future."
Coming from the Atlantic 10 division to the Big Ten was a huge jump for Brigham, but a challenge she was ready to take on as the tenacious player she is.
"The speed and the play of the game is definitely different," she said. "Every game is tough because of the competitiveness in this league. It's a lot of fun being able to go up against really great competition."
Coming off a summer of transition to a new school, Brigham has goals in mind for year one in Happy Valley.
"I wanted to come into the Big Ten and have people know my name," she said. "I wanted to be able to make an impact and help my team to get into the NCAA tournament."
Making an impact and helping her team succeed was never a struggle for Brigham who started filling up the stat sheet instantly. In just her first game against Long Island University, she collected 20 points, and tallied nine rebounds and three blocks.
"Her potential is through the roof," said Kieger after Brigham's debut. "I don't think she understands how good she can be yet and we're pushing her every day to get there. She's got a phenomenal work ethic and she constantly wants to learn in the gym."
Since game one she has continued to shine in the Blue and White. The forward is currently second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game and leads the Lady Lions at 5.7 rebounds per contest.
One of Brigham's favorite parts about becoming a Lady Lion is the atmosphere in the Bryce Jordan Center. Having a large fan base like Legion of Blue supporting her and the rest of the team every home game is something Brigham has always dreamed about.
"Everything is Penn State when you're here," said Brigham. "Everyone is so dedicated and devoted to coming to our games and providing support which is so huge for us. Having that fan base and feeling it when you are on the court is so important to us."
Going into the remainder of the season already having made such an impact in just her debut season for the Blue and White, Brigham's job is nowhere near finished yet. Alongside the rest of her teammates, she is working every day to become an NCAA tournament contender.
"I want to get bigger, faster, and stronger," Brigham said. "I want to become a more dependable teammate. I want my teammates to give the ball to me and know that good things are going to happen so I'm working every day for that."
Having already proved herself to her coaches, teammates, and fans, Brigham enters the remainder of the season hopeful to make a memorable impact for her team with a championship culture mentality. With her work ethic, there's no doubt more success will come.
