Spring Break
A lift off the bench
Roles for McLaren, Dixon grow in March
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Sports
In the past couple of weeks, Kaili McLaren and Lorin Dixon saw few minutes. As the regular season drew to a close, the No. 1 women's basketball team in the country relied on its starters for the bulk of play time.
McLaren and Dixon sat by, watching and waiting for their names to be called. Some nights it happened, other nights it did not.
All the hopes came back in November, as dying, brown leaves crumbled and fell to the ground - a sign that the college basketball season was underway. So began the hopes of a promising season.
Four months later, the media is dominated by debates of how this UConn squad matches up to the other great teams. Dixon and McLaren have yet to be singled out during those discussions, but analysts do occasionally allude to the "lack of depth" of this year's team.
On the other hand, if anything has changed as the Huskies headed into the NCAA tournament, it is that McLaren and Dixon are now being called on to rise up to the challenge in two very different ways.
"It's that time of the year where people know they have to step up and they have to do what they're good at," said Maya Moore. "So it's very key for everybody, at this point in the season, whether it's the starting five or the next five, to come in and contribute, you know, what they're best at."
"We need all the help we can get and if they come off and play their game and do the best that they can do, then that will be a good help to the team," said Tiffany Hayes.
At 5-foot-4, Dixon is one of the fastest players on the court, using her speed to her advantage. Earlier this season, in fact, she said that head coach Geno Auriemma stressed that due to her quickness, she should be one of the best defenders in the country.
McLaren, on the other hand, is a foreboding presence for the opponent when playing in the post. Though she may not have speed, Auriemma has lauded her in the past for her ability to make great passes in traffic. She also has one of the nicest techniques for jump shots.
McLaren and Dixon sat by, watching and waiting for their names to be called. Some nights it happened, other nights it did not.
All the hopes came back in November, as dying, brown leaves crumbled and fell to the ground - a sign that the college basketball season was underway. So began the hopes of a promising season.
Four months later, the media is dominated by debates of how this UConn squad matches up to the other great teams. Dixon and McLaren have yet to be singled out during those discussions, but analysts do occasionally allude to the "lack of depth" of this year's team.
On the other hand, if anything has changed as the Huskies headed into the NCAA tournament, it is that McLaren and Dixon are now being called on to rise up to the challenge in two very different ways.
"It's that time of the year where people know they have to step up and they have to do what they're good at," said Maya Moore. "So it's very key for everybody, at this point in the season, whether it's the starting five or the next five, to come in and contribute, you know, what they're best at."
"We need all the help we can get and if they come off and play their game and do the best that they can do, then that will be a good help to the team," said Tiffany Hayes.
At 5-foot-4, Dixon is one of the fastest players on the court, using her speed to her advantage. Earlier this season, in fact, she said that head coach Geno Auriemma stressed that due to her quickness, she should be one of the best defenders in the country.
McLaren, on the other hand, is a foreboding presence for the opponent when playing in the post. Though she may not have speed, Auriemma has lauded her in the past for her ability to make great passes in traffic. She also has one of the nicest techniques for jump shots.
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