In team sports, it is rare to find an athlete whose mere presence dominates the game. Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth come to mind when considering athletes who, through talent, practice or mythology, became bigger than the game itself.

The ASU water polo team has one of those athletes and her name is Addison McGrath.

Originally from Laguna Beach, Calif., McGrath’s high school water polo resume is dizzying to say the least.

A graduate of Laguna Beach High School, McGrath was a four-time All-American, a first-team member of the 2005 Junior National Team, a first-team pick for both the 2003 and 2005 Junior Olympics, and the Laguna Beach High School Player of the Year in 2003.

When McGrath came to ASU in 2006, skeptics wondered if she would be able to translate her enormous success in high school into collegiate power.

When McGrath scored four goals in her collegiate debut in a 10-5 Sun Devil victory over Cal Baptist, critics were quieted.

McGrath finished her inaugural season with 39 goals and nine assists, earning her a spot to try out for the USA Junior National Team.

Present day, nearly four years removed from her collegiate debut, what has senior Addison McGrath accomplished in her Sun Devil career? Everything.

In 2007, McGrath scored 88 points and averaged 1.93 goals per game. She led the team with multiple-goal games, scoring three or more goals in seven different games.

In 2008, McGrath shattered the ASU single-season points record with 123 points.

The record she broke was her own that she posted in 2007.

Earlier this season, McGrath scored her 200th goal and hasn’t looked back.

She has scored multiple goals in all but two of her games this season, and if you ask her coach, Todd Clapper, she is taking on a powerful leadership role on a team filled with tremendous athletes.

“Addison leads a lot by the example that she sets,” Clapper said. ”She has become more of a vocal leader this season, but has always been someone that demonstrates what makes a championship environment each day at workout.”

Clapper said that he has watched McGrath evolve into one of the top players in the country.

“Addison was a very raw, talented water polo player as a freshman at ASU,” Clapper said. “She has really devoted herself to year-round training and has both the mind and athleticism for sport, so through her experience on the ASU team and with the USA National Programs, she has developed quickly into one of the top collegiate players.”

Clapper said that McGrath’s personality and her competitive nature is what has made her a powerful force in the pool and a motivating factor in the locker room.

“If we need a goal, she will take it upon herself to score that goal or create an opportunity for a teammate by drawing the exclusion foul,” he said. “It isn’t just one thing that makes her a special player. It is the combination of her intelligence, athleticism, work ethic and competitiveness that make her a dominant player.”

McGrath’s leadership has helped the Sun Devils become one of the premier water polo programs in the country.

The team is currently ranked 10th in the nation, and has a 7-3 record, losing only to No. 1 USC, No. 2 Stanford and No. 8 San Jose State.

With McGrath well into her final season with the Sun Devils, the future of the program is on the shoulders of a slew of young players like sophomore attacker Lynlee Smith and freshman Bella Morrison.

The team continues its season this weekend as it takes on UC Davis in Irvine, Calif.

Reach the reporter at jaking5@asu.edu.