Former Monessen star Allen selected in WNBA Draft

Notre Dame senior guard and former Monessen High School All-State basketball player Charel Allen was selected in the third round of the Women's National Basketball Association Draft.

She was the 43rd overall pick and was chosen by the Sacramento Monarchs.

Allen becomes the seventh Notre Dame women's basketball player in the past eight years to be chosen in the WNBA Draft.

A two-time Associated Press honorable mention All-American, The 5-foot, 11-inch wing player was a two-time first-team all-Big East Conference selection, one of only six players in Notre Dame women's basketball history to accomplish this feat.

Allen finished her collegiate career as the first women's basketball player in school history to record 1,500 points (1,566), 500 rebounds (656), 200 assists (239) and 200 steals (206) in her career. She also ranks eighth all-time at Notre Dame with 1,566 points, one of 10 categories where she appears in the top 10 in the program's career record books, in addition to countless appearances on the Irish single-game, single-season, and NCAA tournament charts.

Through 34 games this past season, Allen led Notre Dame in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She also led the team in free-throw shooting percentage at 81.5 percent (101 of 124). Allen was second among team leaders in steals (63), and third in assists (84), blocks (26) and fourth in three-point baskets with 16.

Notre Dame was selected to the NCAA Tournament each of her four years and in 2007-2008 advanced to the round of the "Sweet 16" for the first time since 2004.

Allen scored a career-high 35 points with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in the Fighting Irish's dramatic 79-75 overtime win over the University of Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA tournament last month. Notre Dame finished 25-9 overall and ranked 15th in the final Associated Press poll.

The three-time first team All-State selection concluded her high school career with 3,110 career points, second highest career total in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) history behind fellow Monessen great and current Lady Greyhounds' assistant coach Gina Naccarato (3,364 points). She also helped the Greyhounds make three WPIAL championship game appearances while winning both the WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships during her 2003-2004 senior season.