WBCA All-Star Challenge to Feature Nation's Top Senior Collegiate Players

ATLANTA, Ga. (March 9, 2005) -- The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has selected its all-star line-up for the 2005 WBCA All-Star Challenge Game. On Saturday, April 2, the top 20 senior collegiate players in women's basketball will showcase their talents at the University of Indianapolis' Nicoson Hall.

This capstone event tips-off the 24th Annual WBCA National Convention, which takes place in Indianapolis, at the site of this year's NCAA Women's Final Four®. The WBCA All-Star Challenge game will be the second of a doubleheader event featured during the "WBCA Night of All-Stars." Fans will have an opportunity to watch and collect autographs from the future WNBA stars, as well as see the WBCA High School All-America Game, presented by Nike, which tips-off at 4:30 p.m. (Indianapolis Time).

The WBCA All-Star Challenge features 17 of the top senior NCAA Division I players, voted on by Division I WBCA-member head coaches. The remaining three players are the top senior vote getters in the State Farm/WBCA Player of the Year ballots. They are selected from the NCAA Division II, III and NAIA levels. Those names will be released at a later date.

The 2005 roster includes Penn State's Jess Strom and Tanisha Wright, Texas' Jamie Carey and Heather Schreiber, Tennessee's Loree Moore and Shyra Ely, LSU's Temeka Johnson, Oklahoma's Dionnah Jackson and Notre Dame's Jacqueline Batteast.

Rounding out the roster are Tan White of Mississippi State, Sandora Irvin of Texas Christian, Caity Matter of Ohio State, Florida State's Roneeka Hodges, Kansas State's Kendra Wecker, Janel McCarville of Minnesota, Steffanie Blackmon of Baylor, and Jessica Moore from the University of Connecticut.

The WBCA All-Star Challenge roster may alter if any of the aforementioned players' teams are participating in the NCAA Women's Final Four®. In that case, alternates will be selected based on voting results.

"The WBCA All-Star Challenge has become one of the most anticipated events surrounding our national convention and the NCAA Final Four," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "This year's event is no exception; the Class of 2005 will be represented very well in this year's game."Past stars of the WBCA All-Star Challenge include: Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury); Alana Beard (Washington Mystics); Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock); Chantelle Anderson (Sacramento Monarchs); Semeka Randall (San Antonio Silver Stars); Marie Ferdinand (San Antonio Silver Stars); Chamique Holdsclaw (Washington Mystics); Ticha Penicherio (Sacramento Monarchs); Kelly Miller (Indiana Fever); Coco Miller, Murriel Page (Washington Mystics), and many more stars of the WNBA.

Fans can order tickets by calling the University of Indianapolis' Athletic Department Office at (317) 788-3359, TicketWeb at 800-965-4827 or visit www.ticketweb.com. Tickets for the "WBCA Night of All-Stars" start at $15.00 and $25.00 for reserved seating.