Former CSU Standout Kailey Klein Signs Contract in Romania

All-Time Leading Scorer to Play Professionally in Satu Mare

Kailey Klein helped lead CSU to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances.

Aug. 30, 2010

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kailey Klein, the all-time leading scorer in Cleveland State women's basketball history and a three-time first team All-Horizon League selection, has signed a professional contract to join Satu Mare of the Division A League in Romania.

Klein departed her hometown of Cherry, Ill., on Monday (Aug. 30) afternoon and will arrive in Romania to begin training for the season, which runs from mid-October through mid-May. The team plays a 35 game schedule with one or two games each week.

Satu Mare finished fourth in the Division A League last season.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I am looking forward to playing against some of the top competition in the world," Klein said. "It's a chance for me to make a name for myself and put Cleveland State on the map while playing overseas. I have a lot of family that is excited about coming over to see me play and hopefully they will be able to spread their visits out over a period of time."

"All of us at Cleveland State are very excited for Kailey as she begins the next phase of her playing career," CSU head coach Kate Peterson Abiad said.

"When Kailey came to Cleveland State as a freshman from a small town, it would have been very difficult to envision her flying halfway around the world to play basketball. But her going to play professionally in Romania is a tribute to how much she has grown as a player and as a person over the last four years. We are all very proud of her."

Located in northern Romania, near the borders of Hungary and Ukraine, Satu Mare is known as the "Gateway to Western Europe." and translates to "big village" in English.

Klein concluded her career at CSU as arguabley the top player in program history, finishing her senior year ranked first in the Horizon League in scoring (19.0) and sixth in rebounding (7.3).

She saved her best for last, scoring 80 points in three Horizon League tournament games, earning MVP honors and helping the Vikings win the league title and automatic berth to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years.

In the first round NCAA game at Notre Dame, Klein capped her career with a 31 point effort, including 21 straight points during a stretch in the first half.

Klein's 80 points were a league tournament record, helping her become just the second player in league history to earn tournament MVP honors more than once (2008 & 2010).

She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in CSU history with 2,140 points, ranking second all-time in the Horizon League. She is one of just three players in league history to score 2,000 career points.

In addition, Klein ranks first in school history free throws made (605), free throws attempted (762) and minutes played (4,097), third in field goals made (686), field goals attempted (1,591), three-pointers made (163) and offensive rebounds (279), fifth in three-pointers attempted (490) and eighth in assists (311) and rebounds (733).

The 2008-09 Horizon League co-Player of the Year, Klein became just the second player in school history to lead the team in scoring in each of her four seasons.

She earned nine Horizon League Player of the Week awards during her career, tying her for the second most all-time, and averaged 20.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in eight career games against BCS schools.