Freshman Alex Bentley is used to looking down at her cell phone and seeing a text message from senior Nicole Arcidiacono.
Sometimes the message tells Bentley where she needs to be, what time to show up or what to wear.
No matter the reason, Bentley knows a text message reminder will be sent.
"She's always telling us what we need to be doing and always sending us text messages reminding us about every little thing there is to know," Bentley said. "She's almost like the Team Mom."
Arcidiacono doesn't score 20 points a night, let alone 10 or even four.
She's not going to pull down five rebounds a game or finish with more than two assists.
And odds are she's probably not going to play more than three minutes in a game -- if she even plays at all.
"Her role on this team can never be measured by stats," coach Coquese Washington said. "It's what she does for us off the court. It's the leadership role she provides us and the direction she gives us."
It's been an interesting two-and-a-half years for Arcidiacono after joining the Lions as a walk-on during her sophomore year.
After leading the Penn State club basketball team to an 18-1 record as a freshman, Arcidiacono found out the Lions would be hosting an open tryout for new members.
"There were about 10 of us, and it was a 45-minute tryout with just a couple drills and then mainly scrimmaging at the end," Arcidiacono said. "They were like, 'OK great, we'll let you guys know.' And I thought to myself, 'Wow, that was really short. Either they really liked someone and they know who they want or they saw nothing whatsoever.' "
The coaches did really like someone.
They liked Arcidiacono.
The senior remembered being called into Washington's office after further evaluation and being asked by the assistant coaches for her shoe size and class schedule.
"I'm sitting there thinking, 'Should I be excited?' " Arcidiacono said. " 'Are they kind of, sort of, backwards asking me to be on this team?' "
They were. Washington proceeded to call her into the gym to tell her she thought she would be a good addition to the team.
"She asked me to play and asked me to think about it," Arcidiacono said. "And I was like, 'Wait, seriously, I really don't need to think it over.' "
More than two years later, she hasn't looked back.
She said she has not once second-guessed her decision to join the team.
Not when she's sitting on the end of the bench during games. Not when she is putting in hours of hard work in the gym. Not even when she was playing without a scholarship sophomore year and wasn't even allowed to eat at the team's training table.
"Absolutely not. No way," Arcidiacono said about having any possible regrets. "If I had to do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. There is no question about it."
While she now receives an athletic scholarship after going without one for her first year, the amount of work Arcidiacono puts in hasn't changed.
"She puts as much time [as anyone] in her own individual development, knowing that she's probably not going to get a lot of playing time," Washington said. "But she's in the gym outside of practice working on her game, and that kind of leadership rubs off on the rest of the team."
That is why Washington thinks Arcidiacono is so important to the team.
Her intelligence, positive voice in the locker room and knowledge of the Lions' system are all things the senior brings to the table that Washington said are invaluable.
Those reasons, on top of being like a "Team Mom," are why Washington named Arcidiacono a team captain this season, along with seniors Meggan Quinn and Meredith Monroe.
"You'll have a hard day at practice or you'll do bad on a test, and she's always there if you need help," Monroe said. "Or she'll tell you, 'It's one practice, you're fine. You'll get it back the next day.' She definitely helps the younger kids."
Arcidiacono played in seven games as a sophomore and four games as a junior. So far this season she has played only 20 minutes while taking a total of four shots.
But she doesn't mind.
"I don't think my role is any less important on the Lady Lions," Arcidiacono said. "I feel like I'm very much a vocal leader. I like to be on the side of the bench, and I'm always slamming on the floor and cheering. Roles always change and you adapt. I think I still have a big presence ... just not on the floor."
