North Carolina State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Signs Four to National Letter of Intent
11/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2002
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow has announced the signing of four players - LaKeisha Brown (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian), Marquetta Dickens (Tarboro, N.C./Tarboro HS), Kamela Gissendanner (Clairton, Pa./Clairton HS) and Ashley Key (Atlanta, Ga./Landmark Christian) - to national letters of intent to play for NC State beginning in the 2003-04 season.
"We are pleased to welcome a tremendously talented 2003 recruiting class," Yow said. "All four of these players are very skilled and versatile players with great shooting, rebounding, and ball-handling abilities. They will be an outstanding addition to our program as players, students and most of all as people."
Brown, a guard/forward, is currently ranked 12th nationally as a shooting guard by the All Star Girls Report. At 6-0, Brown has tremendous leaping ability, as well as shooting range. While at Charlotte Christian, Brown has excelled as the team's captain, placing her on the path to become the squad's Most Valuable Player. In addition, she was named North Carolina Independent all-state, as well as an all-Mecklenberg County recognition by the Charlotte Observer.
Dickens, a guard, is currently ranked 13th nationally among shooting guards, by the All Star Girls Report. A two-time Eastern Plains Conference Player of the Year, Dickens has guided the Vikings of Tarboro High School to three-straight conference titles, as well as the state runner-up title in 2001. After leading her team to the Eastern Regionals last year, she took home MVP honors, which was an addition to her three previous team MVP awards. Dickens was nominated for the prestigious Wendy's Heisman Award for high schools in the state of North Carolina. Her abilities also extend to the classroom, as she is a member of the National Honors Society.
Gissendanner, a guard, is currently ranked 10th nationally as a wing by the All Star Girls Report. Named Small School Player of the Year, Gissendanner is on pace to surpass 2,000 career points and claim the Clairton High School scoring record. Over the past two seasons, she has guided the Bears to back-to-back Class A Championships, in addition to a trip to the semifinals of the state championships last season. With her success, Gissendanner was a first team all-state player, named Player of the Year by the Pittsburgh Gazette and was tabbed all-city by the McKee Sport Daily News. In the summer of 2002, she made the Junior USA national team. As a three-time honor roll member, the wing has lettered academically the past three years and was named Who's Who Among High School Students.
Key, a guard, is currently ranked 27th nationally as a shooting guard by the All Star Girls Report. After under going surgery to repair a torn ACL she suffered two summers ago, Key is on track to excel in her final year at Landmark Christian. Her skills earned her an invitation to the Junior USA team camp last summer, as well as three-straight trips to the adidas camp. Key is a three-time all-region honoree and has been the team captain the past two seasons. As a freshman, Key helped lead the War Eagles to a Region Championship title. Key excels in the classroom as well and plans to major in computer engineering at NC State.
