Former Penn State women's basketball forward Kam Gissendanner sat in front of a TV, watching the WNBA Draft, hoping her name would be called and she would realize her childhood dream.
Her name was never called during last Wednesday's 39-pick draft, yet her dream wasn't yet finished, as she heard that Lady Lions coach Coquese Washington was talking to an interested Los Angeles Sparks team after the draft.
Those conversations culminated in Gissendanner signing a free-agent contract with the Sparks yesterday, as she will be the 12th Lady Lion to try and continue her professional career with a WNBA deal. Past players to go pro include guard Kelly Mazzante and forward Amanda Brown, who was selected by the Sparks with the 38th overall pick in the draft last year.
Gissendanner now goes from the floodlights of the Bryce Jordan Center to the spotlights of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, joining one of the WNBA's marquee franchises.
Should Gissendanner make the team out of rookie camp, she will get to learn from two of the biggest names in the women's game -- Olympian Lisa Leslie and former Tennessee superstar Candace Parker, who L.A. selected first overall.
"It's definitely going to be the opportunity of a lifetime," Gissendanner said. "How often do you get to play with two of the best post players in the game?"
The contract is a continuation of the long, winding path Gissendanner has taken to get to this point. It started in the playgrounds in Clairton, Pa., playing against her father, Ed Rideout, and then continued at North Carolina State as a freshman.
Gissendanner would eventually transfer to Penn State, where she finally got the chance to make her mark and leave as the Lady Lions' 21st all-time scorer.
"She wouldn't have been able to do it without her teammates and her coaches," said Rideout, a professor of mass communications at Paine College in Augusta, Ga. "And we're very appreciative of Rene Portland and Coach Washington."
Gissendanner is already excited about the opportunity to play in the WNBA. She believes that her versatility can make her a valuable asset to coach Michael Cooper and the rest of the Sparks team, now that she won't be the focal point of defense's gameplans.
Gissendanner said her goal is not just to make the team, but to prove she can play and be a contributor.
If she does make the team, her first regular season game is against Mazzante's Phoenix Mercury on May 17.
And while Gissendanner said being in the WNBA will sink in more when she gets to California and starts practicing, the news is already music to her father's ears.
"I don't know what Kam did," Rideout said. "But I cried."
