Not making the NCAA Tournament is not the worst thing for the Spartans. In fact, it may be the best thing for the young team.
The Women’s National Invitational Tournament is giving MSU another shot at postseason experience, allowing the Spartans to prove they will be a dominant team in the future.
Assuming the Spartans (16-12) had made the NCAA Tournament, they would have received a low seed. MSU has shown the talent to be a giant killer, yet the young squad has battled inexperience and been beaten badly at times.
A Cinderella story would have been possible with an NCAA bid and that would have brought the national spotlight to East Lansing, but a first-round exit would’ve been more likely.
Such a showing wouldn’t teach a young team much, plus the spirits of the returning players wouldn’t be very high.
That’s why the WNIT is a perfect fit for the Spartans - more so than a glass slipper.
The WNIT is a place where the young team can experience postseason play and gain tournament experience for the future.
Not only will the team gain experience, but some see the Spartans as contenders. That would be an incredible feat for the MSU program.
The poor showing in the Big Ten Tournament may have been a letdown, but in reality, it was a blessing in disguise.
Spartan head coach Joanne P. McCallie said she wants her young team to get a contagious feeling after this year’s postseason play.
“I think if their mind-set of playing late into the season is exciting, they’ll feel, ‘Once you do it once, you want to do it again.’”
In her second year at the helm of the women’s team, McCallie is leading it through the building blocks of success. She left Maine after taking the Black Bears to six consecutive NCAA appearances, each season topping the 20-win plateau.
“It’s great that in year two we can take this young team and get them this experience,” McCallie said. “So in year three, when we get back into this experience of postseason, there is a measure of understanding what’s expected and what is to be gained.”
Realistically, if the Spartans win the WNIT or lose in the championship game, they will top the 20-win mark this season - something no one thought was possible.
Yet, regardless of a big run, any postseason experience is beneficial to a young team.
Junior guard Vnemina Reese, who will graduate in May, said the WNIT is a big step in the right direction for MSU in the McCallie era.
“This is the start of something new with this coaching staff. This is the grounding and foundation of what this team is going to be in years to come,” Reese said. “The NIT is going to show the freshmen, sophomores and juniors what playing in the postseason is like, making them better next year.”
The Spartans will definitely learn valuable lessons in the WNIT, and those results will show in the 2002-03 team. Next year’s NCAA Tournament is no longer a possibility, it’s a probability.
Chris Mackinder, State News women’s basketball reporter, can be reached at mackind8@msu.edu.
