Jimya Chambers, Alexis Cross, and Diamond Phillips have been honored by the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Knoxville, Tenn. — Three former Penn State Beaver women’s basketball players’ jerseys will be hanging from the rafters of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame for the next year.
The jerseys of Jimaya Chambers (2022), Alexis Cross (2022), and Diamond Thomas (2021) are part of the hall of fame’s Ring of Honor, which consists of more than 100 jerseys hanging in the Knoxville, Tenn., building. The display includes jerseys of the top high school and college players from the previous season. Over the years the Ring of Honor has displayed jerseys from some of the best players in the world, including Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, Sue Bird, Candice Wiggins and Breanna Stewart.
“These three young ladies exemplify the Rise and Roar principles Penn State Beaver Athletics is built on,” Penn State Beaver Athletic Director Andy Kirschner said. “All three have had amazing careers, both on the court and in the classroom.”
Chambers and Cross are back-to-back Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) champions, winning the PSUAC title in the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons. (There was no 2020-21 season.) Thomas was a member of the 2019-20 PSUAC championship team. All three women were members of the 2019-20 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship team.
In 2021-22, Chambers was named PSUAC West Defensive Player of the Year, West First Team All-Conference, second team USCAA All-American, PSUAC All-Academic and USCAA All-Academic.
Cross was named PSUAC and USCAA All-American Honorable Mention.
In 2019-20, Thomas was named PSUAC Player of the Year. She was also named PSUAC All Conference, USCAA All-American, and PSUAC All-Academic. Chambers was named West Defensive Player of the Year, USCAA All-Academic, PSUAC All-Academic, and Penn State Beaver Student-Athlete of the Year. Cross was named USCAA All-American and PSUAC All-Conference.
These three players are some of the most decorated student-athletes to have ever played and studied at Penn State Beaver.
“It is beyond awesome that the Hall of Fame is recognizing outstanding student-athletes at every level of competition: NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, USCAA, etc.,” Kirschner said. “This honor is well-deserved for these three young women.”