In a season filled with numerous accomplishments, other parts of the No. 9 MSU women's basketball team are being overlooked.
In recent weeks, the Spartans have started to find that to be consistent and win games, they need a lot of team players and team depth.
"My confidence is growing with every practice," MSU head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. "I've developed more confidence than ever in the bench overall. Just with what they are doing in practice, with the way they are communicating and what they bring to the floor every day."
In Sunday's game against Wisconsin, senior center Kelli Roehrig got into early foul trouble, prompting McCallie to find someone from the bench to step up and take Roehrig's place.
McCallie found her player in the form of sophomore forward Katrina Grantham, who played a career-high 20 minutes and matched her career-high in points with six.
"Katrina is sticking out right now in my mind as someone who I feel I have to play," McCallie said. "She has had an impact on me from what I have seen in practice."
McCallie has talked all season long about developing the depth on the bench, and said she's starting to get seven deep and hopes to be able to get eight deep by season's end.
"We are just looking for consistency from our players, whether they come off the bench or they start the game," McCallie said. "Little by little we are starting to see this, and that is all I can ask for."
Four-peat
Sophomore guard Rene Haynes was named Big Ten Player of the Week for her efforts against Minnesota and Wisconsin.
She averaged 17 points in the two big road victories and shot more than 70 percent from the field in the two games.
MSU became the first school in Big Ten history to have four players named player of the week in the same season.
Haynes joins junior forward Liz Shimek, junior guard Lindsay Bowen and senior guard Kristin Haynie as the other players to win the award this year.
In a league of her own
Senior guard Kristin Haynie accomplished something Sunday afternoon that only three other players in Big Ten history have done. During her career at MSU, she has amassed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 steals.
"Big shout out to Kristin," McCallie said. "In my mind she is the best point guard in the country, and she continues to back it up with numbers and breaking records. Everything that she does is good for us, and you look at all the stats she has - it is just amazing."
Big week
The week ahead is shaping up to be a big one for the Spartans. On Thursday, they will finish up their three-game road trip at Iowa, and on Sunday, they return home to battle No. 2 Ohio State in what is looking to be for the Big Ten regular season championship.
