The GW women’s basketball team already has three of the top guards in the Atlantic 10 Conference on its roster.

Now it will have four of the A-10’s top guards. Sophomore point guard Kristeena Alexander, who withdrew from George Mason University in December, transferred to George Washington and is enrolled this semester.

“I no longer wanted to be a part of Mason’s program,” Alexander said. “As a whole I just wanted to move on.” Alexander said she looked at a number of schools before settling on GW, citing the reputation of GW’s academic and athletic programs as factors in her decision.

“I felt that GW had most of the qualities I was looking for,” Alexander said. “I’m glad to be here.”

The 5-6 guard will join a talented backcourt at GW, which includes Elisa Aguilar, Chasity Myers and Marlo Egleston. Alexander will not be eligible to play for the Colonial women until spring semester 1999, as all transfers must sit out one year before playing for their new school.

While Alexander technically is eligible to practice with the team, she is not cleared medically because of an injured ankle suffered at the beginning of this season.

“It will be a year and a half until I step on the court (in a game situation), so I will be very excited to play again,” Alexander said.

At George Mason, Alexander was named the 1996-’97 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after putting up some impressive numbers during her freshman season. She averaged 14.9 points per game and led her team in assists (111) and free throw percentage (79.9). She also was ranked 17th in the nation in steals with an average of 3.4 per game.

Alexander was already a star coming out of high school. She played for Christ the King High School in Hampstead, NY, where she helped lead her team to a 101-3 record during her four-year career, including a 24-0 record and a No. 2 ranking in USA Today. In addition, Alexander was voted Player of the Year in New York City and New York State her senior season.

“Coming out of high school she was one of the premier guards in the country,” GW head coach Joe McKeown said in a press release. “She has the ability to play at the highest level.”

While GW is already very deep at the guard position, Alexander said she feels she will be able to make a major contribution to the squad next season.

“I can add a lot of fire on the court and defensive pressure,” Alexander said. “I can also penetrate and pass. I have a lot of good qualities that I can bring to the team.”