Despite sour ending, WNIT was positive

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While the MSU women’s basketball team failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, it’s clear its five-game run in the WNIT will end up being much more beneficial in the long run than a one-and-done in the Big Dance.

Although the Spartans fell, 81-66, to Marquette in the WNIT championship game, the improvements and moxie this team showed during the past two months will be something that will carry it to a good, if not great, 2008-09 season.

Consider this: With the youngest team in the Big Ten — nine of MSU’s 12 players are freshmen and sophomores — the Spartans won 10 of their final 13 games and finished the season 10-1 in games decided by five points or less.

More importantly, MSU’s season extended into April for the second time in program history.

“I feel like (the coaching staff) got a lot out of these kids, and I feel like they got a lot out of themselves, especially down the stretch,” Merchant said.

“How many times can you say that you’re playing in April?”

Sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan said the team has improved and learned a lot during the course of the WNIT.

“We’ve learned what it means to really fight for each other,” she said.

“I’m proud of my teammates and I’m excited to start working on what we can do next year.”

On top of that, 80 percent of MSU’s scoring came from first- and second-year players.

They’ll all return and so will the team’s heart and soul, junior forward Aisha Jefferson, who missed this season after tearing an ACL in the exhibition season.

“Aisha was talking to me in the locker room and she was like, ‘I got two more years and we can really look to grow as a team,’” freshman forward Kalisha Keane said.

“That kind of gave me a little motivation to pick my head up and look forward to the future.”

Things are certainly bright.

Junior guard Mia Johnson will be back to full strength after recovering from an ACL tear of her own this season.

One of the team’s top recruits from last season, Lykendra Johnson, is expected to be in uniform next season after sitting out this one.

The team has a bright young point guard in freshman Brittney Thomas, who, if she rounds out her offensive game, will be a big time force in the Big Ten for years to come.

Then there’s Keane, who showed how truly dominant she can be at times with a career-high 24 points against Marquette.

Add in a dash of freshman forward Taja Wilson, a sprinkle of freshman forward Cetera Washington and a big ol’ helping of DeHaan and you have a recipe for success.

In addition, the Spartans will host first- and second-round games of the NCAA Tournament at Breslin Center, making a potential tournament run possible.

“We’ve got a lot to prove, we’ve got a lot to improve on,” DeHaan said.

“I really think we can do some good things this summer and show a lot of people what Michigan State basketball is really made of next year.”

Matt Bishop is the State News deputy sports editor. He can be reached at bishop20@msu.edu.

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