Rashana Barnes thought her time on the basketball court would be limited to pickup games and the occasional showdown in H-O-R-S-E after the Penn State women's basketball team's March 23 loss to Connecticut ended the Lady Lions' season.

Much to her delight however, the forward will get at least one more chance to play for more than just pride.

Barnes was drafted by the reigning WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks Friday with the 48th overall pick. The 2002 captain finished her Lion career with 1,024 points and 728 rebounds.

"To be honest, I was shocked," Barnes said, who didn't think she would be so excited to hear the news. "After getting to the middle of the third round, I didn't think I was going to go."

That apprehension stems from the chronic knee problems that had Barnes gimping through much of her senior season, the knee problems which forced her to skip every other day of practice.

After the Penn State bowed out of the NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16, she was invited to the WNBA's pre-draft workout camp where she put on an impressive performance. Before the tryout, Barnes was so nervous she didn't tell anyone she was attending the camp and only let her mother know once she was in Chicago.

"I knew the draft was around and she just wasn't responding to things right," said Barnes' mother, Robyn, who led her office in cheers after finding out her daughters' good fortune at work. "That's how she is with big things...she sort of keeps those things on the down low."

Barnes' secrecy came from her fear of not knowing if she would be recognized by any of the league's teams. While she knew the camp was a great opportunity, she didn't want to over-hype the experience.

"At the end of the season, she thought she was limping away from her career," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said. "She's almost afraid to be excited it's such a dream come true."

Portland credits the downtime between the end of Lions season and the April 12 and 13 camp with letting Barnes' ailing knees heal, by letting her avoid running, to let her team's leader impress the pro scouts.

Now that Barnes is a member of the Sparks, she is waiting to see how the team operates and where she'll fit in. She also can't wait to step on the court with one of the women's game's biggest names: Lisa Leslie, the Sparks' legendary center who Barnes has admired throughout her career.

"I remember getting ready to go to high school and watching her play on the team USA and getting my picture taken with her," Barnes said.

While she waits to report to the Sparks camp April 29 at Loyola Marymount University, Barnes will ponder whether or not her weak pins can stand up to the compact three month schedule complete with multiple flights each week in a league where she can't take days off.

Even if things don't work out, Barnes is happy she is getting the chance to take her game to the next level.

"If I make it great, if I don't I have other opportunities," Barnes said.

Either way, Barnes' mother already gave her a great reward when her daughter called after she saw the update.

"I told her 'Rashana after everything, all the hard work, I'm so proud of you'," Robyn Barnes said.