Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

A 2004 graduate of Monessen, Charel Allen has made a measurable impact on the game of basketball at every level, beginning with her years suiting up for the Greyhounds. Allen helped lead Monessen to a 100-19 record over her varsity career and earned four Street & Smith All-America honorable mention nods, three All-State plaudits, two Player of the Year nods from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and was named Associated Press Pennsylvania Class 1A Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. As a senior, she averaged 26.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 5.1 steals per game while guiding the Greyhounds to the 2004 WPIAL and PIAA Class 1A girls’ basketball championships. Allen finished her high school career with 3,110 points and 1,247 rebounds, and is one of four WPIAL student-athletes to eclipse 3,000 points in girls’ basketball. The Charel Allen Scholarship was created by Monessen after she graduated, which is given to a senior of her choosing. Allen continued her career at the University of Notre Dame after being rated the No. 27 overall prospect in the Class of 2004 by Blue Star Index. She was a two-year captain, played in four NCAA Tournaments, and became the first player in Notre Dame history to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, and 200 steals, collecting a pair of All-America honorable mention nods in 2007 and 2008. After being selected in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Sacramento Monarchs, Allen enjoyed a 10-year professional career with stops in the WNBA, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Israel, boasting Bulgarian Cup championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016. She began a coaching career in 2017 by joining the staff at Cal State Fullerton, and in July 2022, she returned to Notre Dame as an assistant coach.