On the eve of what could have been history for the MSU women's basketball team, I sat and thought about two things.

First, is how everyone had doubted this team from the outset and still doubts this team's ability to get things done in crunch time.

The only thing anyone needs to look at is what happened in the national semifinal game against powerhouse Tennessee.

The Spartans were in a 16-point hole in the second half that they somehow decided was not going to stand. So they fought their way back to knock off the Lady Vols by four.

Please go find the last time a Pat Summitt-coached team blew a 16-point, second-half lead - in the NCAA Tournament no less.

The second mind-blowing thought was about where the Spartans have come.

When I started following this team in December, I was not sure what to expect. I knew MSU was good and had potential, but I was not sure if the team knew they had the potential.

This team kept winning, though. They kept finding ways to knock off tough opponents, whether it was at home or on the road, they found a way to get the job done.

There is one place to look - the leadership roles that have evolved. As the season has worn on, MSU got contributions from all over the floor, but fans must look at a player who has been here for four years and developed into one of the best point guards in the country - senior guard Kristin Haynie.

She has done it all for this team. Ranging from just leading the team on the floor to recording the second-ever triple-double in MSU women's basketball history.

"I have played against her before and let me tell you, I am glad she is on my team," junior guard Lindsay Bowen said.

That statement alone shows the respect Haynie's teammates have for her and just goes to show what kind of leader she is.

But Haynie takes no credit for what she does on the floor and gives the credit to her teammates.

Without Haynie, I am not sure where this team might have been this year. I know there were times when Haynie found foul trouble and the team started to struggle, no bigger time than against Tennessee on Sunday.

The Lady Vols started to take control in the first half when Haynie was on the bench. She is the quarterback of this team, and this team needs and wants her on the floor all the time.

Haynie is a catalyst on a team that does not really have just one superstar player. Instead, the Spartans have a large amount of role players who do their job night in and night out regardless of what is asked of them.

The other senior that does not seem to get as much recognition as Haynie is center Kelli Roehrig. She doesn't have the most fancy moves in the paint or the flashiest numbers all the time, but she is consistent in what she does.

Junior forward Liz Shimek is one of those players who seems to have solid numbers every night, but does it in a quiet manner. She is one of the most serious players you will see on the court, and that seriousness turns into points and rebounds.

Junior guard Lindsay Bowen has ice in her veins. Just look at the Stanford game. She could not hit a shot to save her life, but when it came down to crunch time, she nailed a running jumper to keep the Spartans ahead.

The sophomore guard tandem of Rene Haynes and Victoria Lucas-Perry find ways to spark the team every night, whether it be rebounding, scoring or just playing plain old solid defense.

But after you look at the rest of the team, you can't help but turn your sights back to the senior point guard.

Haynie will go down as one of the great point guards in MSU history, and when she leaves after this year, she will be missed for years to come.

Chris Barsotti is the women's basketball reporter and can be reached at barsott1@msu.edu.