March 9, 2005
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame senior All-America forward Jacqueline Batteast (South Bend, Ind./Washington HS) is one of 17 NCAA Division I senior women’s basketball players who have been chosen to take part in the 2005 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Challenge on Saturday, April 2 at the University of Indianapolis’ Nicoson Hall. These players will comprise much of the lineup for the all-star game, which is the capstone event for the 24th WBCA National Convention that will be held at the Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis. However, it should be noted that the WBCA All-Star Challenge roster may alter if any of the chosen 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 also serves as the nightcap of a doubleheader event featured during the “WBCA Night of All-Stars.” Fans will have the opportunity to watch and collect autographs from these future WNBA stars, as well as see the WBCA High School All-America Game, which tips off the event at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The evening should be especially significant for Notre Dame women’s basketball fans — in addition to Batteast’s participation, incoming Irish freshman guard Lindsay Schrader (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett HS) has been tapped to compete in the WBCA High School All-America Game.
Fans can order tickets by calling the University of Indianapolis’ Athletics Ticket Office at (317) 788-3359, TicketWeb at 800-965-4827 or visiting www.ticketweb.com. Tickets for the “WBCA Night of All-Stars” start at $15.00 and $25.00 for reserved seating.
Batteast recently was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Naismith, Wooden and Senior CLASS Awards, as well as the State Farm/WBCA Wade Trophy.. She is averaging 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with six double-doubles and 28 double-figure scoring games to her credit this season. For her career, she ranks among the top five on 14 of Notre Dame’s career statistical lists, including scoring (4th – 1,846 points), rebounding (4th – 947 rebounds), blocked shots (3rd – 163 blocks) and double-doubles (2nd – 38). She also has tied the school record with 95 consecutive games started, a streak that dates back to the opening game of the 2002-03 season.
In addition, Batteast has been instrumental in Notre Dame’s 26-5 record this season, Preseason WNIT championship (she was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player) and second-place finish in the BIG EAST. The Irish also have been ranked among the top 10 teams in the country all season long, as they await the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field Sunday at 5 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.
— ND —