When Kelly Greenberg came to Penn just two years ago to take the coaching reins of the women's basketball team, she encountered a program with a long history of futility. In 30 years as a team, in fact, the Quakers had amassed a paltry 289-440 record. They had never won a Big 5 championship. They had never been to the NCAA Tournament. They had never won an Ivy League championship. On Saturday night, inside an enemy arena in Boston, Mass., Greenberg and the Quakers turned almost all those fortunes upside down. The Pennsylvania Quakers are the 2000-01 Ivy League Women's Basketball Champions. To the entire team, we extend our congratulations for an amazing season and an incredible turnaround. By defeating Harvard this weekend, the Quakers have become the first team -- of all the men's and women's teams in the nation -- to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Such a feat is certainly a great accomplishment, and deserves the applause of an admiring campus. The Quakers likewise show little sign of slowing down, as their current 18-game winning streak is tops in all of women's basketball. How wonderful it would be to see such a streak continue into the tense, single-elimination days of March Madness. Winning an Ivy League title -- especially the first -- is an incredible accomplishment. It takes the contributions of an entire team, and that entire team is worthy of recognition. But in this case, one player is especially deserving. And for that, we congratulate Diana Caramanico for a stellar season -- and a stellar career -- during which she led the Red and Blue and put together more points than any other women's basketball player in Ivy League history. Caramanico's success, as well as that of Greenberg and Erin Ladley -- who joined the elite 1,000-point club this weekend -- are all part of the new winning tradition that is Penn women's basketball. We wish them all nothing but the best as they wrap up their season and prepare for the NCAAs.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.