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READY TO ROLL Spann (left) took a medical redshirt last season after injuring her knee over the summer. Moore (below) sat out in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. Photos by Penn State Athletic Communications N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E W O M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L ost freshmen hit the wall at some point, unaccustomed as they are to the duration and intensity of the college basket- ball season. But Lindsey Spann never got that chance. Instead, she hit the 8oor. Spann was taking part in her 7rst un- o:cial practice at Penn State last summer. She was driving for a layup when her right knee gave way. Immediately, she knew something was seriously wrong. "I'd never had a knee injury before. All I'd had were ankle sprains, and I did break my foot once, but I'd never had any serious knee problems," she said. "So I knew something was wrong when I went down and it was my knee [that was in pain]. It swelled up right away. I got up and kind of hobbled o9 the court." Spann's instincts were right. As she would soon learn, she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament. It was a tough break for the 5-foot-6 point guard, but she had a redshirt year available, and she used it, preserving all of her college eligibility. By delaying the start of her eligibility clock, Spann became the 7rst member of Penn State's Class of 2014. A;er sitting out this past season, she looks to be the heir apparent to Dara Taylor and will cer- tainly be one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding project that is under way fol- lowing the graduation of four starters from this year's team. Joining Spann in the Lady Lions' class is Sierra Moore, a 5-11 guard from Hanover, Pa., who sat out last season a;er her transfer from Duke. The former McDon- ald's All-American will have sophomore eligibility when she suits up later this year. In addition, Penn State recently signed 6-4 forward Dominique Brooks, a Lansing, Ill., native who spent the past two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, where she helped the Lady Cardinals compile a 72-1 record and win back-to- back NJCAA championships. Brooks is set to arrive in July and will have two sea- sons of eligibility. A;er bringing in seven true freshmen last year (one of whom, center In7nity Alston, has since transferred to UMBC), Penn State coach Coquese Washington is content to have a couple of 2013 arrivals anchor the team's 2014 recruiting class. It's a positive development in at least one critical respect: Unlike most newcomers, Spann and Moore have had a year to prac- tice with the team before beginning their playing careers, and the coaching sta9 has had an opportunity to assess their potential. That assessment is exceedingly positive. "I wish they could have suited up this year. It would have been fun," Washington said. "They're both bringing a lot. Lindsey Spann is a natural point guard. She's in- credibly gi;ed in so many ways on both ends of the 8oor. It's really going to be a changing of the guard in terms of our point guard and how she plays, but I think she's a dynamic leader and a natural leader, and I think that will help her transition. And Sierra's just an incredible athlete. So I think both of them will help our transition game. They'll both impact us defensively, and I'm looking forward to being able to coach them in games this year." At Delone Catholic High, Moore smashed the York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association scoring record with 2,595 ca- reer points. She averaged 24.7 points, 3.4 assists and 9.4 rebounds as a senior, leading the Squirettes to the PIAA Class AA quar- ter7nals. Named the 49th-best prospect in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz, Moore was recruited by the Lady Lions coming out of high school, and she gave them serious consideration. In fact, Penn State was the only school outside of the Atlantic Coast Conference that she thought she might CHANGING GUARDS | New backcourt highlights Lady Lions' overhaul OF THE M

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