San Francisco, CA -- Adding a key piece to help the Urban Knights defend their Pacific West Conference Championship next season, head coach
LaNay Larson has announced the signing of Molly O'Brien, a 5-9 guard from Division I Wichita State. O'Brien is a junior transfer with a versatile athletic background and the dynamic ability to score the basketball.
''We are very excited about the addition of Molly to our program," Coach Larson said. "She is a prolific scorer who also takes great pride in her defense. Her versatility will fit in great with our style of play and we look for her to play an integral role next year.”
O'Brien, the first athlete from Spokane High School to sign with a NCAA Division I program, played in 34 games over the course of two seasons with Wichita State. In the Shockers' 2012 second round WNIT game at Oklahoma State, she scored a career-high nine points, including her first career three-point field goal. During the MVC Tournament and WNIT, O'Brien averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and shot .471 from the floor. She competed in six games this past 2012-13 season before opting to transfer to Academy of Art.
"I chose Academy of Art because of the school," O'Brien said. "Being able to study film and television while still playing basketball is like the perfect dream school for me. I'm very excited to play under Coach Larson and bring an intensive defensive side to the game, as well as an aggressive offense. I look forward to being a part of the Urban Knight family."
Prior to Wichita State, O'Brien was a three-sport athlete at Spokane High School, earning letters all four years in basketball, track & field, and softball. In basketball, she earned Class 2 First Team All-State honors from the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association (MSSA) and was named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Class 2 All-State Team after averaging a double-double (22.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game along with 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals per contest). A McDonald's All-American nominee, O'Brien became Spokane's all-time leading scorer with over 1,600 points in her career.
O'Brien accomplished more with the Owls beyond her basketball achievements. In track & field, she earned All-State honors in the 300m hurdles (48.42), placed in the Top 10 of both the 300mH and triple jump (33-9) at state, and won a sectional title as a junior after finishing 3rd in the 100m hurdles at state. In softball, O'Brien was named All-Conference honorable mention as a catcher.
Molly, the daughter of Roberta O'Brien and sister to Sonny and Luke, will join Academy of Art University this fall as a student in the School of Multimedia Communications.
