Having recently been crowned Miss Pennsylvania 2022 and already turning her attention to The Miss USA 2022 pageant in October, Phoenixville resident Billie Owens credits her father, basketball legend Billy Owens, for her competitive genes, writes Geoff Herbert for The Syracuse Post-Standard. 

Owens, who graduated from Syracuse University, where her father was an All-American basketball player, claimed the crown of Miss Pennsylvania in her fourth year competing.

“I really wanted to focus on bettering myself, so that mentally I was prepared,” she said. “That’s what made me be successful. I’ve dreamed about this for the past couple of years, and there were times I would practice holding flowers and pointing at people in the crowd.” 

Owens is running for Miss USA on a platform of female empowerment. She is an ambassador of HoopHers, a nonprofit that supports young people and provides a safe space for basketball and character development.

Billy Owens, who led Carlisle High School to four consecutive state championships in basketball from 1984–1988, was the third overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft and spent a decade in the league.

“I’m not like my father,” Billie Owens joked. “Don’t pass me the ball.”

She would rather work as an entertainment correspondent, discussing beauty, fashion, and fitness lifestyles, or covering events on the red carpet. 

“I still can’t believe it’s happening,” she said. “I’m really excited to represent Pennsylvania as Miss Pennsylvania USA 2022.” 

Read more about Billie Owens in The Syracuse Post-Standard.