After Pat Kraft hired former Lady Lion Tanisha Wright as the next Penn State head coach in March, Wright quickly established a supporting cast of former Lady Lions to help her lead the program.
The Lady Lions have four former players on the coaching staff, and with the help of these Lady Lion legends, there’s an opportunity to rebuild the program.
Here’s a look at each of the four Lady Lion alumni and their historic Penn State careers.
Tanisha Wright (2001-2005)
The seventh head coach in Lady Lion history had a very successful career in Happy Valley, ending as the then-No. 4 leading scorer of all time. While she’s now eighth in that list with 1,995 career points, Wright cemented herself as one of the best defensive players to take the court for Penn State.
Throughout her four years with the Lady Lions, the West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, native helped lead Penn State to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance her junior year and Elite Eight appearance her senior year. Wright started all but eight games during her entire collegiate career, making 27 starts her freshman year and served as a full-time starter for the other three seasons.
PSU’s Tanisha Wright goes up for a shot during the Lady Lions’ 71-55 victory over the Dukes last Tuesday.
Julee Jarrett
Wright was a strong contributor to the team in each of her four years. During her freshman season, she recorded a career-high 20 blocks to go along with 10.1 points and four rebounds per game, followed by 16 points per game and 90 steals in Year 2.
After averaging 14.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game her junior season, Wright came back and capped off her career with her highest-scoring season yet, recording 19.3 points per game — the then seventh-most points in a single season in school history.
Penn State’s newest head coach earned three of Penn State’s four Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in school history during her sophomore, junior and senior season.
Kelly Mazzante (2000-2004)
Penn State’s all-time leading scorer joined the Lady Lions on April 1 following three seasons coaching at Georgetown.
With the Lady Lions, Mazzante produced the best career in Penn State history, earning a spot atop dozens of school records. After four seasons, Mazzante recorded 2,919 points, which is still 309 points higher than No. 2 in school history.
Penn State guard Kelly Mazzante cuts down the net at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lady Lions beat Purdue 69-60 to win the Big Ten regular season title. The Lions look to also win the Big Ten tournament later this month.
Lauren A. Little
Mazzante’s standout season came in Year 2 of her collegiate career, where she averaged 24.9 points per game.
Like Wright, Mazzante experienced success in the NCAA Tournament, helping Penn State clinch a spot in each of her four years. The two spent three seasons together, building a 77-27 record.
The Montoursville, Pennsylvania, native earned numerous awards throughout her four years, including being a two-time AP First Team All-American selection, 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a three-time unanimous Big Ten First Team honoree and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year.
Angie Potthoff (1992-1997)
Also among the top scorers in school history is Penn State’s newest chief of staff, who is currently 11th all-time in scoring.
Potthoff had a slow start to her Lady Lion career, averaging just 4.5 points per game while coming off the bench her entire freshman year. However, things picked up in Year 2 as she made 10 starts, recording 17.8 points per game on the season.
The Erie, Pennsylvania, native continued to climb in her junior year, but made the biggest impact in her final season when she averaged a double-double. Potthoff recorded 19.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
Photo: Angie Potthoff during her last home game at the Jordan Center
Collegian Staff
While the Potthoff era experienced the worst overall record between the four coaches with a 15-12 record her senior year, she aided her team to three 20-win seasons and three tournament appearances.
Susan Robinson Fruchtl (1988-1992)
While Mazzante is currently the all-time leading scorer in Penn State history, Robinson Fruchtl held that record for 12 years following her time in Happy Valley.
Robinson Fruchtl led the Lady Lions to their first glimpse of success in her last three years with the program, including a 29-2 season in 1990-91. During her career, Penn State amassed a 92-30 record and earned two NCAA Tournament wins in its three appearances.
The Center Point, West Virginia, native averaged over 18 points per game in each of her four seasons at Penn State and averaged 8.8 rebounds during her career.
Courtesy of Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics
Robinson Fruchtl is the only Wade Trophy winner in school history, having earned the honor in 1992.
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