The MSU women's basketball program is on the rise and the 2003-04 team took a few big steps, as it broke or tied numerous records en route to one of its most successful seasons ever.
"Our goals were to win championships; we flirted with those goals but came up short," head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "It's hard to ignore the accomplishments of this year's team."
The Spartans (22-9 overall) finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten, but were able to win 22 games, tied for the second-most in MSU history.
Of those wins, a record 10 came on opposing teams' floors and the Spartans added two more on neutral floor sites, one each in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
"We had a pretty good season," sophomore guard Lindsay Bowen said. "There were a lot of fun memories."
The season was the first 20-plus win season for an MSU team since the 1996-97 team won 22 games, and the first 20-win season for McCallie in four seasons at MSU.
McCallie is no stranger to 20-win seasons, as she had seven of them in eight years at Maine. For McCallie, it's not about the wins, but about the growth of the program at MSU.
"We're getting there, but this is much more a community thing," McCallie said. "I felt a strong appreciation for what we are doing."
McCallie said a specific game in the middle of the Big Ten season helped her feel a difference in the fan support. In the game, which she knew MSU was going to lose, she put in the five freshmen at the end. The group cut a large lead to less than 10 points and the crowd cheered as if the game were tied.
"The local support and understanding was just different this season," McCallie said. "And on the national scene, we've begun breaking that barrier down too."
The fan support reached a new level as the Spartans drew thousands of fans to Breslin Center. MSU averaged 5,312 fans per game, the highest in school history.
A big reason why the fan support was so high was the understanding of what type of team the Spartans were this season - a blue-collar team.
"We fought for everything, and that is what MSU basketball is all about," Bowen said.
That attitude was exemplified by all players, but mostly by senior forward Julie Pagel. Pagel is the lone player leaving. Nine others who played in almost every game are returning.
With so many players coming back next season, MSU and its fans have a lot to look forward to next season. The Spartans said they had a good team chemistry this season and will look for that to be the case again next season.
"Our team chemistry was great this year and will be the same next year," freshman guard Rene Haynes said. "With the majority of people returning, we should have a great season."
Both coaches and players said a summer filled with lifting, pick-up games and hard work along with the experiences of this season will make next season another exciting year for MSU women's basketball.
"We were a young team this year," Bowen said. "Next year, we will have the experience and the talent. If we can combine that with the players coming in next season, we can go further in the tournament."
