Helen Darling ranks second in the nation in assists.

But when she was younger, she had dreams of using that speed on the track, not the basketball court.

"I actually wanted to be a track star first," Darling said during a chat with ESPN.com on Feb. 22. "I was always faster than everybody else in elementary school, even when playing with my brothers. But once I started competing in track, I realized I wasn't as fast as I thought I was."

Several years later, Darling is still running circles around her competition. Penn State is ranked sixth in the country, fourth in the latest RPI and already has secured the Big Ten title.

During her chat, Darling talked about the rankings and her hopes for the postseason. If you missed the chat, check out the archived version below. And be sure to check back next week for another Women's Hoops Spotlight chat.

Anna Troyan: Hi Helen! Congrats on a great season so far and good luck for the rest of the year. My question is,"Does the Final Four being in Philadelphia bring extra enthusiasm to the team?" Thanks a lot.

Helen Darling: Yes, I think it does. It would be just like a home game. We have a lot of people from Philly and Philly is just right around the corner -- about 3 and-a-half hours away.

M Go Blue: Helen, What do you think of Michigan's chances this year? I know you won your only meeting with them, but they did beat Purdue and they swept two from Illinois, although they still aren't ranked in the polls. Thanks!

Helen Darling: I think Michigan is a great team. They have great players. And I think they really got their program back to a top-10 team. Thomas is a great player, and just like every other team in the Big Ten, they're going to be tough.

DARLING DATA

Darling, a 5-foot-7 guard, ranks second nationally in assists, dishing out an average of 7.8 per game with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Columbus, Ohio, native also averages 9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 33.5 minutes, and has started all 25 games for the sixth-ranked Lady Lions, who have won their past six games. Through Sunday, Darling has 712 career assists since coming to University Park, Pa. As a junior, Darling was a first-team All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week while leading the conference in assists and ranking second in the Big Ten in steals. She also ranked sixth nationally in assists, dishing out 7.5 a game. She notched a career-high and Joyce Center record 15 assists against Wisconsin in January 1999. In a first round NCAA Tournament game, Darling tied her career high with 21 points as No. 8-seeded Penn State beat Virginia 82-69 before losing to top-seeded Louisiana Tech in the West. In her rookie season, Darling was the conference's only freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. Prior to joining the Lady Lions, Darling helped lead Brookhaven High School to a 28-0 record and the state championship in 1996. She also was a Nike/Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American and fourth-team Parade All-American that year.

Brad Troyan: Hi Helen! I just want to congratulate you on having a great season so far and I want to wish you good luck in the rest of the regular season and into the tournament. My question is, "How does it feel to go from the bottom of the barrel in your freshman year to No. 6 in the nation your senior year with the chance of getting to the Final Four? Thanks a lot and I hope to see you Philly!

Helen Darling: It's a great feeling, especially coming in your first year and just not being ranked at all and not even making it to the NCAAs. Rene just kept telling us we were going to turn this program around. And we really believed her and did it. I look at my college career the same as my high school career. Each year we went a step further, and once I got to college, we've made progress every year and taken it a step further. But we still have a lot of goals to accomplish, finish up the season, finish up the Big Ten tournament and hopefully make it to the Final Four. Bye, Bradley.

Matt Troyan: Do you have plans to play in the WNBA after your career at Penn State?

Helen Darling: Yes, hopefully I'll have the opportunity to play at the next level. If we have a good season and finish up strong, then I think I'll have a better opportunity. If it doesn't happen, I'm going to finish up school, get my degree and go overseas to play.

Sydney Hasson: Helen, why did you decide to go to Penn State when Ohio State is so close to your family and friends and they could have seen you more?

Helen Darling: I chose Penn State because Ohio State was too close to home. Ohio State was only five minutes away, and I think if I would have went there, I would not have gotten the same college experience I'm getting here. Plus a lot of the schools in the Big Ten are close to Columbus, so my parents were able to drive an hour or an hour and a half to visit. Also, Penn State had a point guard position open. It was a great opportunity.

Bradley: What is your best memory from your four years at Penn State?

Helen Darling: The best memories are yet to come. I made goals my freshman year, and I don't think I've achieved many of them yet, so hopefully I can do that my senior year.

Matt: What is it like to be ranked in the top 25 in the nation when there are over 150 teams?

Helen Darling: I think there's some honor in it, and also pressure that you're No. 6 in the country, in the top 25. This makes other unranked teams the underdogs, who are always out for the upset. But it is a great honor because you work so hard in the offseason and preseason to be ranked in the top 25.

Jason, PSU Class of 98: You played very well in spurts against UConn earlier this year, what will it take to knock them off, should you meet again?

Helen Darling: We have faith in our coaching staff to come up with a game plan. They came up with one the first game, and we didn't really follow it, which caused us a loss. But if we really go by their game plan, it'll be a great game.

Carmine: I went to high school with Ashley Luke. How is she progressing and does she still have that smile on her face all the time?

Helen Darling: Yes, she always has a smile on her face. She's a very silly person, who brings a lot to the team. On the court, she's progressing fairly well. She comes in and does a lot of good things. She can still shoot the ball and is doing a better job defensively, and it's nice to have another point guard there with you to talk to about the game plans.

Dwight: Hi Helen, congrats on a fine year. While growing up, who did you pattern your game from?

Helen Darling: I didn't really have any women role models growing up. The only person I remember people talking about was Teresa Edwards. As I got older and tried out for USA Basketball, I got a chance to see her play. I don't think our games are anything alike, but I looked forward to seeing her some day. I do think I modeled my game after my brother Ronald. We went to the same high school; he was two years older. I really admired his game. I never told him that. It's also one of the reasons I chose No. 30 ... it was his number.

Jeff: As a Penn State Alumni, it's been great to see the way you have helped to continue the great tradition of Lady Lion basketball. What do you think is the key in getting this team to the next level? (ie. Final Four, National Title) And have you given any thought to what you would like to do after you finish up at PSU?

Helen Darling: I think one of the keys is to stay focused, and to try and be consistent from the outside. We have one of the best post play in the country, and in order to allow them to play, we have to shoot the ball from the outside to open it up for the inside. Also, we just need to stick to the coaches' game plan. If we can do that, I think we can be very successful, make it to the Final Four, or maybe even win a national title.

dribbler: At what age did you start to play basketball?

Helen Darling: I began playing in the summer of my sixth grade year. I actually wanted to be a track star first. I was always faster than everybody else in elementary school, even when playing with my brothers. But once I started competing in track, I realized I wasn't as fast as I thought I was.

Tony: You'll be playing the last (regular season) game of your career in Columbus. Will that be special? Maybe like another "Seniors Night"?

Helen Darling: I look at going to Ohio State as another Senior Night. I was talking to Chrissy the other day about it. I'll have two Senior Nights in one week. Hopefully it will be something special. All my family will be there. I hope everyone will come out and support us. I try not to think about it, about me, but on the team and what I need to do for the team to win. I hope I don't cry that night, either.

mattyball: What advice can you give to future young players about college, and basketball?

Helen Darling: Advice I would give would be to come in shape. You have to be in shape, or in some kind of condition to play. Also, time-management skills are very important for young people in high school. For me, that's why the transition to college was so hard for me. I didn't have the time-management skills, and there were so many things I had to do and there wasn't enough time in the day.

That's all the time we have for now. I'd like to thank everybody for logging in and asking me these questions. Sorry I didn't get a chance to answer them all. Thanks to my teammates and coaches for giving me the opportunity to play here, and thank you ESPN.com for choosing me to do this as well. And hi to Bradley and all my other friends who logged in. Hopefully I'll see you guys on Thursday night.