UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Lady Lions have had their ups and downs as a team this season, but one thing that has remained consistent is the leadership of Kamaria McDaniel and Siyeh Frazier both on and off of the court.
McDaniel, a junior guard, is averaging a team-best 19.6 points per game and Frazier, a senior guard, is accounting for 13.5 points per game. The two combine for 10.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game as well. Their chemistry on the court is noticeable, but what most people don't see is the relationship off of the hardwood that allows the two to operate so smoothly.
Frazier and McDaniel not only backcourt mates, but also roommates. Spending so much time together outside of practice and games has led to the two growing into family.
"I think the best way to describe our relationship is that we're sisters," Frazier said. "We lean on each other heavy and we've been there for each other since she's come [to Penn State]."
McDaniel echoed her co-star's ideas.
"Siyeh, that's brodie. She's been with me in the trenches. When I would go through things early on here, she was there for me all the time," she said. "She has my loyalty to the utmost. We do a lot of things together, she helps me out, she gives me advice and she's really like a big sister to me."
Head coach Carolyn Kieger gets to see McDaniel and Frazier together every day whether it's in practice, while traveling or on campus, and she agrees that the two share a special type of bond.
"They're extremely close obviously, but I think the best thing that they do is tell each other the truth," Kieger said. "I think that's a true sign of friendship, when you love somebody and you care about somebody, you're going to tell them the honest to god truth," she continued. "They joke with each other, they make each other better, they make fun of each other, they're just great together and it's great to see."
With such a close connection and high level of trust with one another, it's no surprise that their relationship has an effect on the court.
"We communicate without talking. Like she knows where I'm going to be and I know where she's going to be," McDaniel said. "We were just talking about that the other day. It's like when people are twins and they have that type of bond. It just came from spending a lot of time together."
Recently, both Lady Lions have been at the top of their games. Frazier has scored 24 and 22 points in Penn State's last two games while McDaniel has scored 24 and 22 points in those contests as well. That duo is the first set of Lady Lion teammates to hit that 20-point mark in back-to-back games since the 2011-12 season. They are combined shooting 50.7% from the field in these games.
Kieger says the success of one another brings out the best in both.
"I think they both don't want to let each other down," she said. "They want to have fun together and they want each other to be their best. I can see them getting excited for each other and I think that's contagious."
However, Frazier humbly put her emphasis on her teammate's success.
"All I ever really want is for [McDaniel] to be happy and for all of my teammates to be happy," she said. "That's why I'm here really. I enjoy making the people close to me happy, keeping them happy and doing what I can to have fun with them."
McDaniel is happy when she has her friend on the floor.
"[Frazier] is a great a player, a great defender and it's a lot of fun to play with her," she said.
Regardless of how much success they see on the floor and the love they have for what each other can do with the basketball, one thing that is the clearest is the love that McDaniel and Frazier share for each other outside the lines. It's the bond that they have off the court that truly makes their dynamic special.
"[Frazier] is my dog for real. I really value her as a person."
