McGinnis | Bench is big for Penn women's basketball

On every successful team, it’s easy to give credit to star players for the squad’s overall success.

With Penn women’s basketball this season, much of the attention has been given to the trio of senior captain Alyssa Baron, freshman Sydney Stipanovich and junior Kara Bonenberger. Arguments have been made that the team wouldn’t be in the hunt for an Ivy League title without them, and that may very well be true.

But it isn’t just the play of those three players that has carried this team. Renee Busch and a number of unsung heroes off the bench have also provided much-needed support for the Red and Blue as of late.

Simply put, when the team is playing at its best, it’s likely because players off the bench are thriving in their respective unique roles.

Take, for example, Penn’s enormous victory over Harvard earlier this month. In that game, the bench combined to contribute 20 points en route to a 67-38 victory.

While some may note that those points came in a Penn blowout, the final score doesn’t tell the full story. Eleven of those 20 points came in the first half, as Busch knocked down three huge three-pointers to keep Penn ahead in a defensive battle.

And the junior guard is just one of the talented weapons that coach Mike McLaughlin has stored away on his bench.

First, there’s freshmen talent.

Guard Melanie Lockett has been a key contributor in relief of senior guard Meghan McCullough. The rookie has grown as the season has progressed, showing off her potential as a point guard who can both drive and distribute the ball.

Additionally, forward Stephanie Cheney’s role of has expanded, particularly after she saw meaningful minutes against Big 5 opponents. Cheney hit key game-tying free throws late against St. Joseph’s and a pair of early baskets against Temple.

It wasn’t long ago that Stipanovich was coming off the bench to provide important minutes for the team. Over the course of the season however, the 6-foot-3 center has excelled and been moved into the starting lineup as a result.

There’s also a bevy of veteran shooters coming off the bench.

In addition to Busch, junior forward Katy Allen has also done her part to help the Quakers succeed this season. Though Allen moved to the bench to make way for Stipanovich in the starting lineup, she has still seen her fair share of minutes as a forward capable of stretching the floor.

Allen’s experience off the bench will continue to come in handy in close situations, especially after the forward showed off her clutch scoring abilities earlier in the season against Miami.

The list goes on and on.

When it comes down to it, this may be the deepest team of McLaughlin’s tenure, one where any and all players have succeeded in their designated roles while coming together to provide exactly what this team needs.

Penn’s success this season isn’t limited to the stars at the top of the lineup. Instead, every player fits perfectly into the jigsaw puzzle that is Penn women’s basketball.

McLaughlin saw what he was working with last year and recruited an excellent class of freshmen who have filled holes in a way that has propelled this team to the top of the Ivy League.

As Penn hosts Yale and Brown this weekend, one of these reserves may need to step up and make a game-changing play.

It might be a three-pointer from Busch. Or a nifty lay-in from Lockett. Or a silky smooth jumper from Allen.

And in the event that any of those things happen, there should be no reason for surprise.

It’s what these players have been doing all season.

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