As the start of basketball season approaches, so does the start of the college careers of the four rookies of Penn women’s basketball. With four of the last eight Ivy League Rookies of the Year being won by players donning the Red and Blue, the group has big shoes to fill among a team that hopes to make an Ivy League championship run this season.
This year’s freshman class — consisting of guard Sarah Gordon, center Kate Lipatova, guard Ruke Ogbevire, and forward Ari Paraskevopoulou — is very diverse, featuring three countries, two states, and three different positions. But one goal unites them all: developing and growing as players in their first season for the Red and Blue.
Sarah Gordon
Gordon, a 5-foot-11 guard, was on the first team All-State in her home state for the past two years. The Vestavia Hills, Ala. native earned All-State honors throughout her high school career, and stood out for her shooting skills, making 43% of her three-pointers in her senior season.
“Shooting is a big role for me,” Gordon said. “But also, I think the importance of defense is something I have taken more pride in, because I know coach [Mike McLaughlin] puts a huge emphasis on defense.”
In her first months at Penn, her upperclassmen teammates have been especially helpful in figuring out everything, even off the court.
“They’ve been helping me with my classes and telling me what dining hall I should go to,” Gordon said. “Their leadership has been really great.”
In her first season, she hopes to grow as a player, get stronger, and “see the game from a different perspective.”
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Kate Lipatova
Lipatova, originally from Moscow, moved to the United States when she was 17 years old to play basketball. She previously won three club championships with her team in Moscow and was a member of the Russian National Team. Lipatova is currently recovering from an injury sustained four weeks ago, making this the longest she has ever been out consecutively.
“I’m trying to run [and] get my conditioning back,” Lipatova said. “I want to say [that] next week I can be back.”
As one of two centers on the roster, she will likely see a lot of action this season. Training alongside her is junior center Tina Njike, who supported Lipatova during her adjustment to the team. With Njike and the team’s support, Lipatova hopes to overcome her injury and to contribute to the team this season.
“Looking … at [Njike’s] moves, how she’s playing, how she scores, her attitude toward the game, her rebounds, … it’s very inspiring,” Lipatova said. “I want to be like her.”
Ruke Ogbevire
Ogbevire is a 5-foot-7 guard and her high school’s all-time leading scorer and program leader for the most triple-doubles. The Houston native led her team to third place at the state championships and was an All-State selection. Faced with many offers from high-major schools, Ogbevire’s recruitment season ultimately culminated in an offer to don the Red and Blue.
“It took me a while to make a decision, but I trust it was the right one,” Ogbevire said.
Her decision may have been impacted by one particular factor. If the name Ogbevire already sounds familiar, that is because her older sister, junior guard Ese Ogbevire, also plays basketball for the Quakers.
“[Ese] definitely helps me on and off the court. Sometimes I’m just in my head about how I’ve been playing and she’s always there, telling me it’s gonna get better,” Ruke Ogbevire said, “She always boosts up my confidence.”
After a lengthy preseason, she can’t wait to get back on the court.
“I’m just looking forward for games to start,” Ruke Ogbevire said.
Ari Paraskevopoulou
Rounding out the class is Paraskevopoulou, who is originally from Athens, Greece. While she played on her club team, the team was promoted to the highest division in Greece the following season, and Paraskevopoulou was named Most Valuable Player. Now, she has taken the leap to play college basketball in the U.S.
“I knew I wanted to play college basketball from when I was little, it was the biggest dream of mine,” Paraskevopoulou said. “I always wanted to come to the States and compete against the best.”
She is also a member of the Greek National Team and played for both the U20 and U18 teams. She and Lipatova are the only two international students on the team. They both hope to bring their unique skillsets to the team.
“Obviously, that’s a weird feeling,” Paraskevopoulou said. “There are some things where we can understand each other better than the rest of the team. Our backgrounds are very different from most of the people here.”
Paraskevopoulou sees her first season as an opportunity to work on her weaknesses and be a good teammate — both on and off the court.
“I just want to experience the whole thing, honestly, I just want to see what the games are like,” Paraskevopoulou said.
Paraskevopoulou and her fellow rookies will get the chance to do exactly that when the women’s basketball season tips off on Nov. 7 at the Palestra.
Sports associate Divya Karnani contributed reporting.
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