KINGSTON, Ont. (January 26, 2011) – Queen's women's basketball head coach Dave Wilson is pleased to announce that forward Laura Baker of West Vancouver, B.C., has signed a letter of intent to play for the Gaels starting in the 2012-13 season.

“While our focus in recruiting for the coming season was to get bigger up front, Laura is such a talented player that we could not pass on the opportunity to bring her to Queen's.  She comes from one of the best basketball programs in British Columbia and knows how to be a champion,” said head coach Wilson. “She is an excellent 3-point shooter with great court savvy that works at all aspects of her game in a professional, dedicated manner. I am thrilled to bring a person of this calibre, both of skill and character, to our basketball family.”

Baker, a 5-foot-10 forward, has been a member of the York House Senior Tigers for three years under Coach Winston Brown. The Tigers have captured AA Provincial titles in 2010 and 2011 with Baker playing a key role on the 2011 team in particular, earning a place on the tournament all-star team. She has also played at the national level, representing B.C. at the U-15 nationals and capturing a silver medal. Baker was also selected to Canada Basketball's Centre for Performance, participating in the program for three years under the guidance of senior national team coaches Allison and Mike McNeill.

“I spent a week with the basketball team at Queen's last summer and I fell in love with the campus and really felt at home with the girls on the team (and the coach wasn't such a bad guy either),” said Baker. “Queen's is a highly respected educational institution and I look forward to pursuing my academic career at the university. I can't wait to further develop my basketball skills with the Gaels and help contribute to the team's future success. I'm looking forward to returning to the province where I was born and where hopefully there is a little less rain.”