April 3, 2002

Villanova University women's basketball recruit Kate Dessart-Mager will play in the inaugural McDonald's All-American girls basketball game. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, April 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Following the girls contest, the boys all-star game will take place at 8 p.m. ESPN2 will air the girls game on Monday, April 8 at 2 p.m.

Dessart-Mager will be one of 12 players on the East squad that will be coached by Johanna Wright of Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J. Three other future Big East Conference players will play for the East including a pair of Connecticut recruits in Nicole Wolff (Walpole, Mass.) and Barbara Turner (Cleveland, Ohio) and Virginia Tech signee Dawn Chriss (Washington, D.C.).

As a senior this past season, Dessart-Mager led Cardinal O'Hara High School to the Philadelphia Catholic Championship with a 26-2 record and a top 10 final ranking in the national polls. In the Catholic League championship game, the 6-0 forward shot 8-of-13 from the field for 16 points to go with 13 rebounds to help her team to a 39-20 win over Archbishop Prendergast. For the year, Dessart-Mager averaged 17.1 points per game and shot 60 percent from the field.

Approximately 2,500 top high school boy and girl basketball players from across the country were nominated to the McDonald's All-American Teams. Proceeds from the 2002 McDonald's All-American Game will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities Chapters of New York and New Jersey.

Dessart-Mager will join Jackie Adamshick (6-0 forward/Allentown, Pa.), Betsy McManus (5-6 guard/Pearl River, N.Y.) and Jenna Viani (5-11 guard/Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) as incoming recruits for head coach Harry Perretta and the Wildcats. The four will all be freshmen in the fall and be members of the 2002-03 Wildcat squad.