Senior Night for Missy West may have come one year too early.
The Duke senior, who played a major role in Duke winning its first-ever ACC championship last weekend, indicated that she hopes to return to the team next year for her fifth season. The return is possible because West had redshirted her sophomore year while on mend from a serious knee injury.
"I know for a fact that I definitely want to come back-it's just up to [coach Gail Goestenkors] and the school," West said. "I've talked to my parents and everything, to see what's best for me. Personally, right now, I want to come back."
West is set to graduate with a degree in sociology in May, but should she return to the team next season, she will pursue a second major in biological anatomy and anthropology.
Although discussion of West's possible return to the team has been ongoing between West and Goestenkors, the final decision on West's status will not be made until after the season.
"[West] could come back," Goestenkors said. "She and I are going to sit down at the end of the season and talk about what is best for her and what is best for the team. She knows the exceptional recruiting class we have coming in as well. It's going to be a decision we sit down and make together."
"We were always planning on her graduating, from the beginning of the year. So we were going out and looking to sign six players. We felt like we would sign six players early, and we wouldn't have a scholarship."
The pieces almost fell into place.
Goestenkors and her staff hauled in a banner recruiting class, rated by consensus among the top three in the country. But when the potential sixth member of the class of 2004, Ashley Battle, opted for Connecticut instead of Duke, the window cracked open for West.
The senior, however, played through the season like it would be her last at Duke. The Blue Devils honored her on Senior Night against Florida State and West flourished, scoring 17 points on a sizzling 7-of-11 shooting performance from the floor.
And as the apparent end of the road got closer for West, her play got even better.
Against North Carolina in the ACC championship game, West hit several clutch shots, assisted on the go-ahead score and harassed Nikki Teasley into missing two potential go-ahead three-pointers.
But Goestenkors makes assurances that West isn't auditioning for a spot on next year's squad.
"I don't think it will be about her play," Goestenkors said. "It's always been about her leadership, her attitude, her work ethic and her toughness. If there's anything I was very impressed with and proud of with Missy is her toughness during these last several games."
With point guard Vicki Krapohl and off-guard Rometra Craig added next season to an already crowded Duke backcourt with Krista Gingrich, Sheana Mosch and Georgia Schweitzer, West will be in a dogfight for playing time if she's back.
But West is comfortable with the potential logjam in the backcourt.
"Even if they play over me, there's still things I can do from the bench, there's still leadership that I can bring to the team," West said. "[Goestenkors and I] discussed... how I would handle it if I came back and I didn't play. I think it will be a good experience even if I don't play.... I will just do what I can from the sidelines and do what I can in practice to make them better."
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