When discussing the stakes for this year's women's basketball team, senior center Becky Brown doesn't mince words.
"There are no more excuses," she says. "No more, 'Oh, this is a young team.' This year's team is the strongest I've seen."
Doesn't that just add to the pressure the Tigers already face to improve on last year's performance?
Brown says yes — and she smiles. Beneath her open, friendly personality lies a strong competitive edge. This is exactly the type of challenge she relishes.
Not that the women's basketball team doesn't have a lot going for it, starting with the propitious return of all five of last season's starters. Junior forward Casey Lockwood is back from injury, adding to Princeton's firepower, and sophomore forward Meaghan Cowher is out to prove that her Rookie of the Year season was no fluke. They know how to play as a team now. But perhaps most important of all, they have Brown.
From her effusive disposition to her commanding presence at six feet, two inches, Brown is a positive force who consistently contributes, and the one others look to for guidance. It's a role she assumes naturally and, as she acknowledges, she's had it for a while.
"It's a cool feeling when people look up to you, though I struggled with the pressure sophomore year and even junior year," Brown said. "People expect things out of you."
Princeton basketball players, fans and coaches have expected great things from Brown ever since she left her high school in Tennessee — not intending to play college basketball — and quickly became the anchor of the Tigers' offense.
Brown has led Princeton in scoring for three straight years, and this year should be no different. Last season, with an average of 15 points per game, she was the fifth-highest scorer in the league. That feat helped push her past the 1,000 career point mark, making her just the 16th Tiger player to pass it. She has been picked for the All-Ivy second team two years running and was selected to the All-Rookie team her freshman year.
If that is any indication of how she performs when she's under pressure, then her performance this season, when she will face her greatest pressure yet, ought to be nothing short of awe-inspiring.
But, in a sense, Brown already is. Even away from the world of basketball, Brown makes her presence known. She was part of the committee that organized this year's Pre-Rade, and she is part of the committee that organizes Commencement — and participating in Undergraduate Student Government is far from the only other activity in which Brown is involved.
With the addition of basketball, her commitments are numerous and time-consuming. Looking back over her time here, though, Brown has no regrets.
"There were ups and downs, obviously, but I've absolutely loved [Princeton]," she said. "I really wanted to make the most out of it."
In preparation for life after Commencement, she took a break from basketball this summer, choosing to intern on Capitol Hill instead of her usual training. She enjoyed her time so much that her current prospective career is as a lobbyist, which would suit her blend of charisma and spirit perfectly.
Though life after Princeton is in the back of her mind, she's not really thinking about that yet. Now, with her last season upon her, there is a sense of urgency, and she wants something special. She's confident that the team can win the Ivy League and go to the NCAA tournament.
"We have people with the experience," she said. "We can definitely do it."
That may be a tall order. Though it may have many noteworthy strengths, and though Brown has consistently performed well, the team hasn't been as consistent these past few years.
"That was our biggest weakness last year," Brown acknowledged. But if the team keeps its cool and remains focused, stays patient on offense and steps up the ante in defense, she added, they should have a decent shot.
Maybe she's right. After all, she knows the team better than nearly anyone else, and she has already seen improvement over last season, which she attributes to the "amazing" solidarity and friendship within the team.
Brown also highlights the "incredible" coaching staff, which she credits with much of her own progress during her time here and particularly with her increase in strength.
"I look back at pictures of myself [as a freshman], and I was puny," she said.
She showed a lot of promise back then and has been able to live up to it over the years. There won't be basketball in her life after March, so for Brown's final season with the Tigers, expect her to shine even brighter than usual.
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