Milwaukee's Edwards highlights Horizon League Women's Basketball Preseason Team

Oct. 11, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - University of Wisconsin Milwaukee junior center Traci Edwards is the 2007-08 Horizon League women's basketball Preseason Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2-inch junior headlines a group of 10 women's basketball players, who were named to the Preseason All-League Team according to a survey of League coaches, sports information directors and media members.

Edwards is the lone returning member from last year's postseason All-League First Team and is one of the top scorers in the country. In two seasons, Edwards has over 1,000 points for her career and is the only current player in the League who surpassed that milestone. Last season her scoring averages of 20.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game led the League. On the national level, the junior ranked 13th in scoring and 12th in rebounding.

Joining Edwards on the Preseason First-Team are Butler University junior center Lade Akande, Cleveland State University sophomore guard Kailey Klein, University of Detroit Mercy senior forward Joyce Massey and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay junior guard Rachel Porath.

The Preseason Second-Team unit features Youngstown State University senior guard Heather Karner, Butler sophomore forward Susan Lester, Wright State University senior forward Whitney Lewis, Loyola Chicago University sophomore guard Maggie McCloskey and University of Illinois at Chicago sophomore guard Jessie Miller.

Akande, an All-League Second-Team honoree following her sophomore season, takes to the court for her junior campaign after averaging 14.1 points per game. In two seasons, the Illinois native has total 878 points and needs just 122 points to become the 19th player in school history with 1,000 in her career. If the Butler center hits the 1,000-point plateau in her junior season, she would become the first Butler player since Jennifer Marlow in 1998-99 to reach the milestone before her senior year.

The reigning Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, Klein returns to the squad after averaging a team-best 11.0 points per game. In League play the Cleveland State guard saw her average jump up to 16.3 points per game. The Illinois native scored in double digits 13 times, including a 33-point outburst on the road against Detroit.

Massey returns to Detroit following a junior season where she was named to the All-League Second-Team. The Michigan native finished fourth in the League in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 ppg). In addition, the senior forward scored 20 or more points eight times, including a career-high29 points on the road against Kentucky. Two games earlier, Massey recorded a career-high 16 rebounds against Western Michigan.

Despite the loss of three seniors from last year's 29-4 squad, Green Bay does welcome back Porath, who is the squad's top returning scorer and rebounder from a year ago. In 2006-07, the Phoenix guard started in 32 games and led the League in three-point field goal percentage with a 43.8 percent clip.

Among the Preseason Second-Team, Youngstown State's Karner averaged 10.9 points per game and was placed on the Horizon League All-Newcomer squad. In her first game a year ago with the Penguins, the YSU guard scored 34 points against Cincinnati.

Lester takes to the hardwood for her sophomore season after she helped guide the Bulldogs to an 11-5 League mark. As a freshman, Lester averaged 9.6 points per game and was named Horizon League Player of the Week twice en route to a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.

Lewis averaged 11.4 points per game as a junior last winter, ranking in the League's top five in field goal percentage (fifth at .521), three-point field goal percentage (third at .424) and free-throw percentage (third at .824).

McCloskey returns for her sophomore season after being named to the All-Newcomer Team in 2006-07. The Loyola guard is the top returning scorer this year. The Illinois native averaged 11.5 and 4.1 assist per game last year.

UIC's Miller rounds out the All-League Second Team after she was selected to the All-Newcomer Team following her freshman campaign. The 5-foot-8-inch guard started in 26 games and averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game a year ago.

The 2007-08 season opens on Nov. 9 with seven teams in action. The 2008 Horizon League Championship gets underway on Monday March 10.