Amber Parker returns for her third season with the Rutgers-Camden women’s basketball program after playing in 16 games last winter, averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds. She collected 15 assists and had 13 steals.

        Parker, who also has had an outstanding softball career with the Lady Raptors, was a key cog in sparking the Raptors to a 53-47 win over Brooklyn College (Jan. 29, 2007). She scored all seven of her points in the second half, including five straight, to break a 36-36 tie and give Rutgers-Camden the lead for good. She also added four rebounds and one assist.

        Parker collected a career-high 12 points against Rowan University (Feb. 7, 2007), shooting 3-for-5 from the floor including 1-for-2 from three-point range, and adding five free throws in nine attempts. She also had one rebound, two steals and two assists. She nearly matched that career high in the Raptors’ season-ending win over Kean University (Feb. 17) when she collected 11 points, while adding four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

        During her first season with the Raptors’ basketball program, in 2005-06, Parker played in nine games, averaging 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. She added 12 assists and nine steals. She scored six points against Ramapo College (Dec. 3, 2005) and set her career high with seven rebounds against Valley Forge Christian (Nov. 28, 2005).

        It was during the spring of 2006 that Parker made her biggest impact on Rutgers-Camden athletics. Her booming bat played a major role in leading the Lady Raptors to the Division III national softball championship. A transfer from Camden County College, she finished fourth on the team with a .354 batting average and collected 17 RBIs, four doubles, two home runs and 12 runs scored. She had a .455 slugging percentage and a .418 on-base percentage on her way to earning All-New Jersey Athletic Conference Honorable Mention.

        Parker delivered key hits throughout the season for the Lady Raptors, but perhaps none was as big as her fifth-inning two-out, two-run single against St. Thomas in the winners’ bracket final of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship (May 21). That single gave the Raptors a 5-3 lead against the two-time defending national champions. Rutgers-Camden finished with a 5-4 win to snap St. Thomas’ 29-game post-season winning streak, with Parker going 2-for-3 in the contest. The next day, the Raptors beat the Tommies again to win the national title.

        Parker continued her strong hitting during the 2007 season as the Lady Raptors captured another NJAC title and advanced to their fourth straight berth in the NCAA tournament. She hit .302 with 20 RBIs, two home runs, 11 runs and a .434 slugging percentage.

        Parker captured All-Garden State Athletic Conference honors in softball at Camden County College while earning Dean’s List recognition in the classroom during the 2004-05 school year.

        Parker collected varsity letters in both basketball and softball at Pennsauken High School, where she was a member of the Honors Society. She was a First Team All-Olympic Conference Patriot Division guard as a senior with the Indians’ basketball team during the 2003-2004 season and earned First Team Olympic Patriot honors as an outfielder that spring. She added Second Team All-Group 4 softball honors from the Courier-Post newspaper.

        As a junior, Parker was a Second Team All-Olympic Conference Patriot Division outfielder. She also was a member of the National Honor Society at Pennsauken High School.

        An Accounting major who plans to obtain her Master’s degree, Amber is the daughter of Matthew and Juanita Parker of Pennsauken.