May 12, 2011

NEW YORK, NY - Maiki Viela, a guard from Lahainaluni High School in Hawaii who will join the Gonzaga University women's basketball team for the 2011-12 campaign, has been named a PARADE Magazine All-American. The announcement was made Thursday and will be featured in Sunday's edition of PARADE.

Viela is Gonzaga's second PARADE All-American. Former Bulldog Tiffanie Shives (2006-10) was a PARADE All-American third team selection in 2005.

Viela is believed to be the first Maui Interscholastic League (MIL) athlete in any sport to be named a PARADE All-American - teams are chosen in football, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls soccer. Viela is the only Hawaii selection on this year's team.

The 5-7 Viela averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game in her senior season when the Lunas broke the MIL all-sports winning streak record and moved it to 59-straight - Viela played in 55 of those wins.

She is a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year and was State Player of the Year in 2010 for the Honolulu Advertiser and Star-Bulletin, and award for which she finished second this year in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. She also was a semifinalist for the McDonald's All-America Game, and has been an MIL All-Star four times, twice as Division I Player of the Year.

The entire team, which was compiled by PARADE in association with Sporting News, includes a 40-player roster of standout athletes from 30 states. Members of the PARADE All-America High School Girls Basketball Team have traditionally gone on to star in college and professional basketball. The 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen boasted a total of 35 former PARADE All-Americans, and 61 played in the 2010 WNBA.