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Soumaré joined the Golden Bear program after competing for two seasons at Dixie State College...an athletic, versatile player with good size on the perimeter...a slasher who has a great ability to rebound and lead the break...active defensively...recovering from ACL surgery on her left knee in December 2003 and a scope of the same knee in August but hopes to contribute to the team this season...needs to gain strength in her leg to protect her knee so that she can withstand the rigors of Pac-10 play.
Dixie State College: Averaged 9.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore starter at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah, before tearing her ACL six games into the season...missed the remainder of the season...also contributed 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game...her team finished the 2003-04 campaign with a 17-11 overall record and a 13-9 mark in the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC)...as a freshman in 2002-03, was a key reserve as Dixie State posted a 28-7 record.
International Experience: Played club basketball for five years with Aspttde Paris and won two junior national championships with a team from Aix en Provence...during the 2000-01 season with the team from Aix en Provence, averaged 7.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and shot 45.5 percent from the floor...won a Best Defensive Player award... Most Valuable Player at the 2000 Nike French Camp, which featured about 150 girls in her age group...earned an invitation to a junior French national team camp.
High School: Attended Aix en Provence High School in France.
Personal: Aminata Soumaré was born Oct. 5, 1980, in Montmorency, France...parents are Diadie and Bintou Soumaré...has six siblings ranging from ages two to 33 - Ta Sikou (33), Daouda (25), Bak (18), Mamadou (14), Yakhouba (8) and Moussa (2)...her family is originally from Mali in West Africa...Aminata has endured the 30-hour train ride to get to Mali six times...interested in computers, including Web site design and programming...also enjoys playing the piano, shopping, music and food...intends to major in business.
