It was a regular refrain used to minimize expectations for a team with nine underclassmen that was attempting to follow in the footsteps of the first outright conference champion in the history of the MSU women’s basketball program.

But as Lykendra Johnson sat in a locker room in College Park, Md., wearing her MSU jersey for the final time and her Spartan career over following a 67-55 loss to Louisville in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the contrast couldn’t have been more glaring.
When she spoke about what lies ahead for the program, “we,” was already replaced by a new, unfamiliar word.

“They’re not going to be a young team next year,” she said.

And just like that, Lykendra Johnson had moved on, and now head coach Suzy Merchant will be tasked with maintaining recent success.

Before this season, Lykendra Johnson was one of only four Spartans to average more than 16 minutes per game at some point during their careers.

Now after this season, eight players can say the same.
The building blocks are in place, led by freshman guard Kiana Johnson, a dynamic point guard that finished among the top ten in the nation for assists by a freshman.

Sophomore guard Klarissa Bell began living up to the high potential — after joining MSU’s starting rotation midway through the season — that many saw for her coming out of East Lansing High as Michigan’s Miss Basketball a few years ago.

And the freshmen twin towers of forward Becca Mills and center Jasmine Hines showed flashes of raw talent and the ability to dominate during stretches this season.

Yet, the true test for the Spartans won’t be talent, but leadership, a hole that will be increasingly glaring after the past two seasons.

From Brittney Thomas and Kalisha Keane a year ago, to Porschè Poole, Taylor Alton and Lykendra Johnson this year, MSU has lost a dependable group of players that had been through the battles and had gained enough experience to weather almost any storm.

It will be incumbent for next year’s senior class — guard Jasmine Thomas and forward Courtney Schiffauer — to pick up where their predecessors left off.

And although it’s not necessarily in their nature to be a calming presence, the reality is, they’ll have no other choice but to learn, because as Lykendra Johnson said in that Maryland locker room, it’s not her team anymore.

Josh Mansour is the women’s basketball reporter for The State News. He can be reached at mansou13@msu.edu.