Jasmine Green, former guard for the Penn State Beaver Lady Lions basketball team, has signed a professional contract with the Harlem Ambassadors and will join their training camp in Fort Collins, Colo., on Aug. 31. Green is from Jersey City, N.J. and attended Orange High School.
The Ambassadors’ mission is to offer a fun, wholesome family entertainment show while serving as role models for young people by promoting the value of staying in school, staying off drugs, and fostering racial harmony. The group performs in the United States as well as abroad.
Green, a three-time USCAA All-American and three-time Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) player of the year, led Beaver’s Lady Lions to a national runner-up finish in 2011 and three PSUAC championships from 2008-2010. She is the Beaver women’s basketball's all-time leader in points (1,824), rebounds (705), assists (455) and steals (516), and started all 122 games of her collegiate career. Green amassed a 96-26 record at Beaver campus.
Harlem Ambassadors General Manager Dale Moss said, "Jasmine Green is going to fit in tremendously. She is a small, lightening-quick guard who has personality galore. Her interaction with the crowd and basketball skills will be a valuable asset to the Harlem Ambassadors."
Moss said the upcoming training camp will take place in a mile-high altitude that is perfect for getting players in shape. "We will have two conditioning sessions per day and an off-the-court session once a day. Jasmine has great fundamental ‘show’ basketball skills, and she is very excited."
Bert DeSalvo, Beaver’s head coach of women’s basketball, coached Green during her college career.
"Having Jasmine reach this level is a great feat for our program and for her," DeSalvo said. "She has always had this dream, and we have spoken about it in the last few years. I cannot imagine a better person or player to fill this role for the Harlem Ambassadors. Coach Lade Majic is certainly getting a fantastic addition to the squad. I feel fortunate to have been able to help Jasmine reach her goals and spend four years as her coach and mentor."
"Having this opportunity to play professional basketball is a dream come true," Green said. "You hear kids say all the time that when they get older they want to go pro and, fortunately, I am realizing my dream. I will have the opportunity to travel throughout the country and get paid to do what I love... play basketball. I am so grateful and appreciative of the opportunity that awaits me. I feel blessed that out of thousands of female college athletes, I was selected as one of the very few to play on a professional level. I want to thank God, my family, my friends and, most of all, Coach Bert DeSalvo and Penn State Beaver for helping me reach my goals."
Green graduated from Beaver campus in May with a bachelor’s degree in business.
For information, visit www.theuscaa.com or www.harlemambassadors.com/index.php, or contact DeSalvo at apd12@psu.edu or 724-773-3827.