SWAMPSCOTT — Faye Parker has made a name for herself on the hardwood at Tabor Academy.
A Swampscott native, Parker has also made noise at the AAU level for the Boston Showstoppers. Earlier this month, Parker sealed her future plans when she signed a National Letter of Intent to play women’s basketball at Division I University of Pennsylvania of the Ivy League.
“It was a little difficult finally saying ‘yes I’m going to go here’ but the decision itself was easy,” Parker, a 6-4 forward/center, said. “I was really in love with the school.”
Parker, who’s interested in studying English or science, felt UPenn offered the best mix of academics and a competitive basketball program. She also considered Cornell and Bucknell before committing to UPenn in July.
“Academics are very important to me as well as basketball,” Parker said. “That was kind of the best of both worlds for me. I know I’ll be challenged in both aspects and that’s what I really wanted out of the school.”
She also came away impressed with UPenn’s Philadelphia campus.
“I loved the idea of going to a big school after growing up in a small town,” Parker said. “I love that it’s in the middle of everything in Philadelphia. I love how how beautiful the campus is. There are a lot of old buildings. My favorite part is The Palestra, it’s the oldest gym in the Ivy League. The first Ivy League Tournament was played there. It’s a really cool place to call home.”
The Quakers went 22-9 last season with an appearance in the Ivy League Tournament championship game, where they lost to Princeton. They also qualified for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, where the Quakers lost to St. John’s in the second round. Quakers coach Mike McLaughlin, currently in his 10th season at the helm of the program, has guided UPenn to three NCAA Tournament bids.
“They usually compete at the top of the Ivy League with Princeton,” Parker said. “Coach McLaughlin has been there for a long time. They’ve made it to the NCAA Tournament and last year they won the Big 5, which is the tournament in Philadelphia.”
Parker knows challenges will come her way when she joins the Quakers next winter and begins her collegiate basketball career. Making the transition from high school basketball to the Division I level brings plenty of adjustments. Parker received a firsthand look at what those adjustments are when she scrimmaged with her soon-to-be teammates.
“One of the biggest has to be fitness,” Parker said. “The girls who I’ve met and played with at UPenn are in ridiculous shape. I’m going to have to do a lot of work on strength and agility, all those little things that add up in your game. The physical aspect, a lot of shots that I didn’t expect to be blocked were blocked against them. It’s a matter of being able to play faster, stronger and getting my shots up quicker.”
Parker credited the Showstoppers for playing a key role during her recruitment process.
“I started my junior year with no offers and came out of my junior year with 12 offers,” Parker said. “A lot of this had to do with my AAU team.”
With the stress of the recruiting process out of the way, Parker can focus on her senior basketball season. Tabor’s currently in the early stages of its preseason and begins the regular season next weekend.
“I’m very excited,” Parker, a two-sport athlete who also plays goalie for Tabor’s girls soccer team, said. “We won the ISL last year and made it to the Class AA NEPSAC finals but we lost. I’m really hoping this year’s our year. We’re the only team in the league with two 6’4 girls. We’ve already put in a lot of work in during the offseason. It’s been looking really good. I’m excited to see how it goes.”