Penn State (19-8, 11-5) at 2001 BIG TEN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Thursday, March 1- FIRST ROUND: All game times are EASTERN Friday, March 2- QUARTERFINALS: All games on Fox Sports Chicago Saturday, March 3- SEMIFINALS: All games on Fox Sports Chicago Sunday, March 4- FINAL: BIG TEN TOURNEY THIS WEEK: The No. 18/19 Penn State Lady Lions (19-8, 11-5) are the No. 4 seed as they participate in their seventh straight Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament this week at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. Penn State begins action in the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 2 against No. 5 seed Michigan (17-10, 10-6) at Noon. Fox Sports Chicago will broadcast the game live with Dave Eanet, Vera Jones, and Toni Roesch calling the action. The Penn State Sports Network with Jerry Fisher and Kelly McKinney will broadcast all of the Lady Lions' tourney games live across the radio network. NEW SITE: For the first time since 1995, the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament will not be played in Indianapolis. The city of Grand Rapids, Mich., will proudly host the 2001 event. BIG TEN SEED: The Lady Lions finished the 2001 Big Ten season at 11-5 and are the No. 4 seed. The defending Big Ten champions have claimed three Conference titles since joining the league in 1992-93. The Lady Lions shared the 1994 and 1995 titles and claimed their first out-right championship in 2000. The winner of the Big Ten tourney receives the Conference's automatic NCAA berth. BIG TEN TOURNEY HISTORY: The Lady Lions have won three Big Ten championships (1994, 1995, 2000) and two league tournaments (1995, 1996). The most successful team in Conference tourney history, Penn State has a 12-4 mark (.750) and has played in the title game four times. Additionally, each time PSU has played in the final, a Lady Lion player has earned the tourney MVP honor: Missy Masley (1994), Angie Potthoff (1995), Andrea Garner (1998), and Helen Darling (2000). PENN STATE'S YEAR-BY-YEAR BIG TEN TOURNEY RESULTS: 12-4 1995 No. 1 seed Champions 1996 No. 2 seed Champions 1997 No. 7 seed 1998 No. 7 seed Second Place 1999 No. 2 seed 2000 No. 1 seed Second Place PENN STATE BY THE ROUND: DID YOU KNOW: The Lady Lions have never lost a quarterfinal game, going a perfect 5-0 in the round. SEEDS: Defending Big Ten champion Penn State has earned the No. 4 seed for the first time in its seven-year Big Ten tourney history. The Lady Lions have been the No. 1 seed twice (1995, 2000), the No. 2 seed twice (1996, 1999), and the No. 7 seed twice (1997, 1998). LADY LIONS IN THE FINAL: Penn State has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament final game four times, winning back-to-back tourney titles in 1995 and 1996. The league's first-ever repeat winners, PSU has faced Purdue in three finals. BIG TEN HONORS: For the first time since joining the Big Ten, a Lady Lion has earned Freshman-of-the-Year accolades. Guard Kelly Mazzante is the frosh pick by both the media and coaches. She is also a first-team all-Big Ten selection by both and was named to the coaches' All-Freshman Team. Senior Maren Walseth earned first team honors from the coaches and second team recognition by the media. Senior Lisa Shepherd was a second-team all-Conference pick by both. HOW CLOSE WERE THEY ? : In October, the Big Ten coaches and media selected identical picks for the 2001 season finish. Here's a look at the result: Preseason Picks Actual Finish 1. Purdue 1. Purdue 2. PENN STATE 2. Iowa 3. Illinois Wisconsin Wisconsin 4. PENN ST. LADY LION PEN PALS: As part of the Big Ten Pen Pal program, students from the St. John Vianney, Campau Elementary, and Mulick Park Elementary schools in the Grand Rapids area will support the Lady Lions during their tournament games. The program, which promotes women's basketball, allows students to exchange letters with team members. For their participation, every student will receive complimentary admission to the team's first tourney game, courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press. SCOUTING MICHIGAN: The No. 5 seed Wolverines, under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Sue Guevara, stand 17-10 overall and 10-6 in Big Ten action after Sunday's 75-74 upset of No. 18/19 Penn State in Happy Valley. Sophomore post LeeAnn Bies is the team leader with 12.5 ppg and a team-best 7.2 rpg, while junior guard Alayne Ingram adds 11.3 ppg. Junior forward Raina Goodlow chips in 10.5 ppg. PSU-UM SERIES: Penn State holds a 12-4 series advantage over Michigan since 1992. Michigan swept both series games during the regular season. LAST ACTION: The No. 18/19 Lady Lions fell to Michigan 75-74 in the home season finale on Feb. 25. Senior Lisa Shepherd (Richmond, Ind.) paced the squad with 17 points, while fellow senior Maren Walseth (Bloomington, Minn.) added her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Kelly Mazzante (Montoursville, Pa.) chipped in 14 points. PSU held the rebounding edge, 49-40. ON THE TUBE: After 140 televised games overall, Penn State stands 95-45 (.679). PSU's Record on . . . National Broadcasts (28) 15-13 .536 Regional Broadcasts (98) 72-26 .735 Local Broadcasts (14) 8-6 .615 Total Appearances (140) 95-45 .679 Since first appearing on Fox Sports Network broadcasts during the 1997-98 season, Penn State has gone 10-6 on the network. Last season, the Lady Lions were a perfect 5-0 in games televised by Fox. Penn State stands 12-8 in games televised by ESPN/espn2 since its first game in Feb. 1994. Last season, the Lady Lions made a record seven appearances on the network, going 4-3. This season, PSU stands 2-1 in national broadcasts. ANOTHER RECORD: With her 14 points against Michigan, freshman sensation Kelly Mazzante set the Lady Lion season record for points by a freshman. With her 508 points after 27 games, she broke Susan Robinson's (1989-92) record for points by a freshman with 503. ONE WIN AWAY: The Lady Lions (19-8) are just one win away from their 20th 20-win season. En route to its first-ever Final Four appearance last March, Penn State recorded a school-record 30 wins. UPSET CITY: With its 75-65 win over No. 5 Purdue on Feb. 22, Penn State recorded its biggest upset of a nationally ranked team at the Bryce Jordan Center. The previous biggest upset at home at the BJC came last season when the No. 12/16 Lady Lions stunned No. 6 Auburn, 77-65 on Dec. 1, 1999, in the Big Ten-SEC Challenge. The highest ranked opponent to ever set foot on the BJC court was No. 2 Purdue on Feb. 12, 1999. The Boilermakers claimed a 76-74 OT win en route to the 1999 National Championship. LUCKY 13: Freshman Kelly Mazzante is closing in on yet another season record. She has 63 treys, just seven shy of the record of 70, set by Lisa Shepherd and Chrissy Falcone last season. UNDER-RATED: For the second straight game, freshman Jessica Brungo (Allison Park, Pa.) came off the bench for a career night. In Penn State's 101-80 win over Illinois, she netted a career-high 17 points. The frosh went a perfect 4-4 from three-point range to re-write the Jordan Center record for perfect shooting percentage from long range. In Sunday's game at No. 22 Wisconsin, Brungo stepped in to pace the squad with a career-best 18 points, including a career-high five treys. PUT ME IN COACH: Seniors Lisa Shepherd and Maren Walseth, who have played in 126 contests to date, are on track to break the school record for most games played. Shared by Suzie McConnell (1985-88) and Shelly Caplinger (1987-91), the Lady Lion record is 128 career games. McConnell also holds the record for consecutive starts with 127. HOME STREAK SNAPPED: With its 75-74 decision to Michigan on Feb. 25, Penn State saw its 11-game home win streak at the Bryce Jordan Center disappear. The loss also halted Lady Lions' 16-0 perfect Big Ten record since February 1999. PSU went 11-2 at home this season. Both losses were by one point. SPECIAL "K": Lady Lion freshman Kelly Mazzante re-wrote six school records with her 38-point performance against Illinois on Feb. 15. She went 15-22 from the field, including a record 6-11 from three-point range. The 38 points are the most by a freshman this season in NCAA Division I play. Here are the game records she broke and former record-holders: 38 points, Kelly Mazzante vs. Illinois, 2/15/01 HONORED AGAIN: Following her 38-point, record-breaking performance, Lady Lion freshman Kelly Mazzante earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week accolades for the third time this season on Feb. 19. The shooting guard, who leads PSU and the Big Ten scoring with 18.8 ppg, is the first-ever Lady Lion freshman to earn the league's weekly honor. She ties Ohio State All-American Katie Smith (1992-93) and Purdue's Leslie Smith (1993-94) with the most POW honors in Conference history with three each as true freshmen. Johnson holds the Big Ten season scoring record by a freshman with 628 points. DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA: The Penn State Board of Directors has named All-American Suzie McConnell-Serio (1985-88) one of eight honorees to earn the 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award. The former PSU point guard coaches girls' basketball at Pittsburgh's Oakland Catholic HS. She retired from the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers last summer. CAN YOU SAY FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ? ? ?: Freshman Kelly Mazzante has jumped ahead on the scoring charts. She stands first in team and Big Ten scoring with 18.8 ppg while shooting .473 from the field. The National Freshman-of-the-Year candidate, who has started 24 contests, has earned Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honors three times. She holds the PSU freshman records for points in a game (38) and a season (508). ON THE BALLOT(S): Seniors Lisa Shepherd and Maren Walseth are nominees for the prestigious Kodak All-America Team, as well as the All-Big Ten Team. The duo, and sophomore Ashley Luke, are also nominees for the Verizon Academic All-America Team for sporting better than a 3.2 gpa. Kelly Mazzante is a candidate for Big Ten and National Freshman-of-the-Year accolades. IN THE STATS: After 27 games, four Lady Lions are averaging better than 10 ppg. Freshman Kelly Mazzante paces the squad with 18.8 ppg, while senior Lisa Shepherd follows with 14.7 ppg. Senior Maren Walseth adds 13.6 ppg and a team-best 7.3 rpg, while junior Rashana Barnes chips in 11.3 ppg. PSU out-scores (+9.9 ppg) and out-rebounds (+5.7 rpg) opponents. SIZE MATTERS: Penn State, Illinois, and Wisconsin are the tallest teams in the Big Ten this season, thanks to a survey produced by the UW SID office. The Lady Lions, Fighting Illini, and Badgers stand tied as the league's tallest team, averaging 6-0 1/2 per player. Seven of PSU's 10 players are 6-0 or taller. The tallest Lady Lions are freshmen Jacquelynn Shook (Aurora, Ill.) at 6-5 and Courtney Upshaw (Southport, Conn.) at 6-4. Minnesota sports the Conference's tallest player with 6-7 junior center Kim Bell. IN THE POLLS: Penn State is No. 18 in this week's USAToday/ESPN coaches' poll and No. 19 in the Associated Press media poll, released Feb. 27. GUARDING THE POINT: Sophomore Ashley Luke (Aurora, Ill.) and junior Katrena Carr (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) have shared the starting position at point guard this season. Luke has started 14 games, including the first four of the season. Carr, who backed up Luke at point while adding outside shooting finesse as starter, took over at point guard in 14 games. The duo replaces four-year starter and All-American point guard Helen Darling. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The 2001 NCAA Tournament is less than a month away. The 64-team women's bracket will be announced live on ESPN on Sunday, March 11 at 5 p.m. JUST ONCE: With the Big Ten rotating schedule, Penn State faced Minnesota, Iowa, Purdue, and Wisconsin only once during the Conference's regular season. MOVIN' ON UP: The Lady Lion veterans continue to move up on the career charts. After 126 career games, senior Lisa Shepherd is No. 1 in three-pointers (224), No. 5 in scoring (1,637), No. 10 in assists (261), No. 11 in steals (149), and No. 20 in rebounds (399). Senior Maren Walseth is No. 9 in steals (157), No. 12 in assists (197), No. 14 in rebounds (631), and No. 12 in scoring (1,303). After just 90 games, junior Rashana Barnes is No. 5 in blocks (137) and No. 19 in rebounds (467). Sophomore Ashley Luke stands No. 14 in assists with 163 in 56 games. RENE VS. THERESA: Penn State head coach Rene Portland and Illinois head coach Theresa Grentz have coached against each other 43 times in their careers. The former Immaculata teammates split in Big Ten regular-season competition this year. With the 101-80 win in Happy Valley on Feb. 15, Portland took a one-game advantage, 22-21. The series, which dates back to 1977, includes games from St. Joseph's, Colorado, Penn State, Rutgers, and Illinois. In the NCAA career charts, both coaches have been highly successful. Portland stands No. 7 with a 572-193 (.748) mark, while Grentz is No. 8 at 564-225 (.715). SHEPHERD GOES TO THE LINE : Senior Lisa Shepherd is the most productive Lady Lion at the free throw line. In the win over Maryland, the guard converted 14-16 from the line, tying the school record for free throws made in a game. She tied the mark again with her 14-17 from the line against No. 5 Purdue. STREAKS: Penn State is perfect when: Out-shooting opponent 13-0 600 WINS: With its 95-86 victory over Maryland on Dec. 5, Penn State recorded its 600th victory in the school's 36-year history of women's basketball. Since the 1965 season, the Lady Lions have recorded a 615-240 (.721) all-time record. VETERAN COACHING: With all the coaching changes in the Big Ten over the last two seasons, Penn State's Rene Portland is now the dean of the Conference coaches. In her 25th season as a head coach and 21st year at Penn State, Portland has guided the Lady Lions to three Big Ten championships and two Conference tournament titles in their eight-plus seasons (since 1992-93) as a member of the Big Ten Conference. BIG TEN COACHING Coach Years in Coaching Overall School BT Rene Portland, PSU 25 21 9 Jane Albright, WIS 17 7 7 Theresa Grentz, ILL 27 6 6 Sue Guevara, MICH 5 5 5 Cheryl Littlejohn, MINN 4 4 4 Beth Burns, OSU 12 4 4 June Olkowski, NU 12 2 2 Kristy Curry, PU 2 2 2 Kathi Bennett, IND 13 1 1 Lisa Bluder, IOWA 13 1 1 Joanne McCallie, MSU 9 1 1 WIN 100: With its 91-73 win over Minnesota on Dec. 28, Penn State recorded its 100th win in Big Ten play. After just eight years in the Big Ten Conference, Penn State stands 110-36 (.750) in league games. The defending champion Lady Lions have won the Conference crown three times (1994, 1995, 2000) and won the league tourney twice (1994, 1995). The Lady Lions lead EVERY Conference team in series records. Penn State began Big Ten play during the 1992-93 season. CAREER NIGHT: Junior Katrena Carr had an outstanding night against Minnesota. The guard racked up career highs in rebounds (7) and assists (7) en route to 12 points in 23 minutes of work. ANOTHER POW: Freshman Kelly Mazzante became the first Penn State freshman to garner Big Ten Player-of-the-Week accolades on Dec. 18. In the win at Pittsburgh, she became just the third player in PSU's 36-year history to record 30 or more points as a freshman with 32. SHEPHERD NAMED POW: Senior Lisa Shepherd earned her first Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honor on Dec. 11. The guard tied the school record with 14 made free throws in the win over Maryland while helping PSU to its 600th win in school history. In the win over Vanderbilt, the 5-11 team captain nailed the game-winning shot with six seconds to go en route to her 20 points. The honor was the first of Shepherd's career. ANOTHER MILLENNIUM: Senior forward Maren Walseth became the 23rd Lady Lion in school history to record 1,000 career points. The 6-3 post reached the milestone with 3:47 to go in the win over No. 10 Louisiana State. With her five boards at Northwestern, Walseth surpassed the 600-rebound plateau. HEAD COACH RENE PORTLAND: In her 21st season at PSU, Lady Lion head coach Rene Portland is in the midst of her 25th season overall. In 1998, she became the ninth coach ever in NCAA women's hoops history to register 500 career wins. She stands 572-193 (.750) in her career. As the Lady Lion mentor, Portland stands 485-164 (.750) overall and 110-38 in Big Ten play. The 1994 and 2000 Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year, she has been recognized twice as the National Coach-of-the-Year. Portland guided the Lady Lions to consecutive Big Ten Tournament titles ('95, '96), three Big Ten championships ('94, '95, '00), 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 2000 NCAA Final Four. She received a contract extension through the 2004-05 season. ROLLIN' RASHANA: Junior Rashana Barnes has taken over the paint in her 26 starts at center. Averaging 11.3 ppg, Barnes leads Penn State in blocks with 50. The center recorded two double-doubles on the year with 11 points and 10 boards against Maryland and a career-high 23 points and 15 boards against Indiana. KELLY, KELLY, KELLY: Freshman Kelly Mazzante is on fire. After pacing the Lady Lions with 22 points off the bench against Texas Tech, the 6-0 guard moved into the starting line-up in the win over No. 10 LSU. The frosh took advantage of her second starting nod, leading PSU to the win with 24 points that included four treys. For her efforts, Mazzante was named to the Paradise Jam all-tournament team. IN ONE HALF: Penn State's 25 free throw attempts in the second half against Michigan were a season high. Here's a look at the PSU trips to the line by stanza this season: First Half Second Half Old Dominion 17-19 12-21 vs. Indiana Maryland 14-19 16-22 at N'west at Indiana 15-24 16-25 vs. Michigan FREE POINTS: This season, the Lady Lions have been to the line 653 times. PSU stands .743 from the charity stripe, converting 485 free shots. Senior Lisa Shepherd has made the trip the most, going 145-174 so far (.833). Averaging 24.1 fta per game, Penn State attempted the most free throws in school history in 1984-85 with 871. BRILLIANT BRUNGO: Freshman Jessica Brungo puts her playing time to good use. The silent giant added 12 points and four blocks off the bench against Duke. Brungo launched her only trey to tie the game against Vanderbilt. The guard netted a then-career-best 17 points, including a school record 4-4 from three-point range, against Illinois. At Wisconsin, she re-wrote both career-bests with 18 points and five treys. Brungo grabbed a career-best 10 boards against Michigan. WHO'S ON FIRST: Penn State has utilized three different starting line-ups: F Shepherd Shepherd Shepherd F Walseth Walseth Walseth C Barnes Barnes Barnes G Carr Mazzante Mazzante PG Luke Luke Carr Record: 2-1 7-4 10-3 NATIONAL STATS: In the NCAA statistics, released Feb. 20, freshman scoring leader Kelly Mazzante stands No. 36 nationally with 19.0 ppg and No. 23 in three-point shooting. Junior Rashana Barnes is No. 24 in blocks. The Lady Lions also rank in among the nation's best: in the ncaa stats (Feb. 20, 2001) WALK-A-THON: For the third consecutive year, the Lady Lions participated in their own Edie Hall Walk-a-Thon for cancer in October. This fall's six-mile trek yielded $7000 in pledges, raising PSU's contribution to the Centre County Chapter of the American Cancer Society to nearly $19,000 over three years. RETIREMENT PARTIES: Freshman Kelly Mazzante and senior Lisa Shepherd became the first females to have their jerseys retired at their respective high schools. Mazzante, No. 13, received her honor from Montoursville (Pa.) HS on Dec. 29. Shepherd, heralded as Indiana's Miss Basketball in 1997, was honored by Richmond (Ind.) HS on Feb. 9. Her older sister Stacie also wore No. 20 in high school. OH, CAPTAIN: Seniors Chrissy Falcone, Lisa Shepherd, and Maren Walseth were selected as team captains for the 2000-01 season by their teammates. This is just the second time in Lady Lion history that tri-captains have guided the squad. The first time was last season with Helen Darling, Andrea Garner, and Marissa Graby at the helm. GARNER WINS NCAA AWARD: Former Lady Lion captain Andrea Garner (1997-2000) is a recipient of the 2000 NCAA Top VIII Award, honoring eight student-athletes for achievements in athletics, academics, character, and leadership. A two-time first-team all-Big Ten honoree and three-time Academic all-Conference pick, Garner earned third-team GTE Academic All-America status last spring after guiding the Lady Lions to their third Big Ten Championship and their first-ever Final Four appearance. She graduated in May and plays for the WNBA's Seattle Storm. A Dean's List selection, the 6-3 center from Philadelphia also won the the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship last spring. SHEPHERD THE SHOOTER: Senior Lisa Shepherd became PSU's all-time three-point shooter last season. After 126 career games, the guard has 224 treys to date. As a junior, Shepherd and Chrissy Falcone rewrote the school record for treys in a season with 70 each. FIRST START/FIRST HONOR: In her first collegiate start, sophomore point guard Ashley Luke recorded career highs in points (13), boards (7), and assists (13) in the win over No. 12 Old Dominion before 16,294 fans and a national television audience at the State Farm Tip-off Classic. For her efforts, Luke was named the ESPN Player-of-the-Game and the Big Ten Player-of-the-Week on Nov. 13. PRESEASON HONORS: In its preseason issue, Athlon Sports lists Penn State's incoming freshman class at No. 19 on its Top 25 Best Recruiting Classes. Individually, the magazine recognizes Lady Lions Kelly Mazzante and Courtney Upshaw among its Top Incoming College Freshmen. The Women's Basketball Journal named senior Lisa Shepherd to its preseason Top 10 list of "Best Pure Shooters in the Nation". SCHUMACHER ADDED: Penn State volleyball All-American Katie Schumacher (Chicago, Ill.) was added to the Lady Lion basketball roster in October. The 6-0 forward joined the team as a dual-sport student-athlete once the volleyball season concluded on Dec. 8. A first-team all-Big Ten honoree and AVCA All-American at outside hitter, Schumacher was a four-year starter in both sports at Mother McAuley HS. (see bio on page 8). Schumacher is the second volleyball player to join the basketball team in school history. Jen Reimers (1993-95) played both sports for two seasons. FALCONE SUFFERS INJURY: Captain Chrissy Falcone suffered a career-ending injury on Oct. 19. The fifth-year senior ruptured the reconstructed ACL in her right knee during practice. The 5-6 guard has joined the coaching staff as a student assistant coach for the 2000-01 season. Falcone fired a team-best .425 (17-40) from three-point range last year. KNIGHT COMMISSION: Head coach Rene Portland addressed the Knight Commission in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28 on behalf of the WBCA. She spoke as part of a panel to assess current problems in college athletics and make recommendations. Concerning the women's game, Portland addressed the issues of summer recruiting, television contracts, neutral sites for NCAA play, amateurism, diversity in coaching, and gender equity. BIG TEN PRESEASON HONORS: Seniors Lisa Shepherd and Maren Walseth were named to the Big Ten coaches' preseason all-Conference team. CLASS OF 2005: Penn State signed five standouts to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period (as per NCAA legislation, see original announcement for details). The five standouts, which complete PSU's incoming class, have been recognized by the Women's Basketball Journal as No. 7 among the nation's best recruiting classes. The Lady Lion signees also garner a No. 10 ranking by the All-Star Girls Report. BRENDEN TO REDSHIRT: For the second time in 12 days, the Lady Lions lost a player to injury. Freshman Jennifer Brenden (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during practice on Oct. 30. The 5-10 guard, who had reconstructive surgery on Nov. 28, will redshirt this season. A two-time All-American from Sauk Rapids HS, the first-team all-state selection scored a record 2,279 points during her prep career. AND THE EMMY GOES TO: WPSX-TV/Penn State Sports Network's Center Court with Rene Portland won the Emmy Award for "Best Sports Series", the National Academy of Arts & Sciences announced during its 2000 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards show on Sept. 18. Honored for the second consecutive year, the six-show series is a behind-the-scenes look at Penn State women's basketball. The Center Court with Rene Portland series is in the midst of its seventh season. STILL IN THE GYM: Despite the exhaustion of her playing eligibility, All-American Helen Darling (1997-2000) can still be found working out in the Bryce Jordan Center. The point guard, who guided Penn State to its first-ever Final Four appearance last season and played for the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers during the summer, is completing her fifth academic year. Serving as a student assistant coach this season, she will graduate in May 2001 with a degree in kinesiology. She does not travel with the Lady Lions. Darling was honored on Dec. 10 as the school retired her No. 30 jersey. HONORED AGAIN: Former Lady Lion point guard Suzie McConnell Serio was named the recipient of the 2000 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award. Her second sportsmanship honor in three years, McConnell Serio ended her professional career with the Cleveland Rockers after the 2000 season. The 34-year-old mother of four retired after three seasons, citing family considerations. The Pittsburgh native, who also won the 1998 award, averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 assists as Cleveland's floor leader. A first-team All-WNBA selection in 1998, she coaches girls' basketball during the academic year at Pittsburgh's Oakland Catholic HS. IN THE PROS: Three Penn State alumnae are playing professional basketball with the WNBA. Recent graduates Helen Darling and Andrea Garner, both selected in the second round of the 2000 WNBA Draft, played their rookie seasons during the summer. Darling advanced with the Cleveland Rockers to the Eastern Conference final. Garner played for the Seattle Storm after being traded by the Houston Comets. Forward Angie Potthoff (1993-97) completed her second season with the Minnesota Lynx. All-American Suzie McConnell Serio (1985-88) retired following the 2000 season from the Cleveland Rockers after three seasons. DID YOU KNOW: UP NEXT: Following the Big Ten Tournament, Penn State will await the announcement of the 2001 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament bracket. The 64-team field will be announced live on ESPN on Sunday, March 11 at 5 p.m. EST.
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