May 10, 2000

MILWAUKEE- Allison Klaas, a junior college transfer from the College of DuPage (Ill.), has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, coach Sandy Botham announced today.

A 5-5 point guard who is a product of Warrenville South High School in Wheaton, Ill., Klaas earned junior college first-team All-America honors and was named the regional MVP each of the last two seasons as she posted per game averages of 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals. She was named the MVP of the 2000 junior college national tournament as she set a tournament record by scoring 34 points in the national championship game.

"Ali Klaas is a winner!" said Botham. "She has had tremendous success in junior college and is now excited to prove that she can compete at the Division I level. In addition to possessing great quickness and a scorer's mentality, the strength of Ali's game really lies in the intangibles she brings to the point guard position - experience, maturity, leadership, knowledge and a definite winner's attitude. We're absolutely thrilled to have Ali join our UWM family."

Klaas also earned first-team All-America honors in tennis by playing doubles. She was a second-team All-America selection in singles. Klaas also excels academically, she was a member of the College of DuPage Honors Program and was named to the President's List. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.