University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Women's Basketball
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Senior Looks to Spark the Huskies in '98-'99
by Ryan Church
At 6-foot-1, it looks like Malinda Lynch would excel inside the key and under the basket. She does.
It looks like she could also run the floor, play ferocious defense and get nasty inside. She does.
You may not expect her to step out and drill the three, but, yes, she does.
Over the last season of Washington women's basketball, Malinda Lynch has proved that she can do just about everything on the basketball court. The quintessential team player, she is not concerned with scoring a lot of points or clearing a lot of rebounds; she is concerned about helping the team.
"I want to be a spark plug; I hope they get pumped up," says the senior from South Jordan, Utah.
And inspire them she does. She has been voted by her teammates as most inspirational in each of the past two seasons. But she is more than just an emotional leader. Last season Lynch played in all 28 games for the Huskies, mostly as the first player off the bench. It's a role Lynch is comfortable with, as she led Washington with a .453 field goal percentage. Not all of them were lay-ins, as she launched 15 three-pointers including the game-winner against North Carolina State. Under the new offense, Lynch could be seeing more treys.
"I've always liked to shoot outside and my outside game has improved a lot," says "Utah", as she is called by her teammates. "I've been working on my three-pointers over the past few years and so I'm really excited. I feel strong and confident and I trust myself as a basketball player."
Head coach June Daugherty has talked about the changes she wants to see in her team this season, and Lynch is excited about the changes on defense and on offense, where there will be more outside shots taken.
"I love it. I can be outside, I can also be inside. In other offenses if you're outside, you never get a rebound, now it's a good balance. There are some things that I'm uncomfortable with. I'm not the best driver, but I can go outside and shoot off the pass."
In addition to changing to a running style offense, Washington will also press a little bit more on the defensive side. Daugherty looks for Lynch to be involved in every capacity of the team's new look.
"Malinda is a tremendous athlete who has really worked hard and comes into this season in great shape," the head coach says. "We need Malinda to do all the things that she can do this season to help us be successful. She can get it done inside as well as on the perimeter. We're even trying to get her more confident driving into the lane. She's very positive and one of the best leaders on the team."
One of the nicest, most encouraging people in the Washington athletic department to be around, Lynch will make exceptions on the basketball court, at least she did in her time at Bingham High School. Lynch might have an idea what Evander Holyfield felt like after his last fight with Iron Mike.
"This girl bit me on the leg. I hit her because you do not bite me. It was the heat of the moment ,and so I hit her and we both got kicked out," Lynch says with remorse. "I learned from it though. I know that basketball is not a game of hitting. That's crossing the line and that's it. But if someone bit me again, I'd probably hit them again."
Lynch is not in the business of initiating a fight or trash talking, but will engage if she needs to.
"If you want to talk, I'll go. You want to mess with me, I'll go," says Lynch with conviction. "You want to mess with my teammates, you're going to mess with me too."
Lynch takes the same conviction into her activities off the court as well. Involved heavily in her church, she claims that to be the most important element of her life.
"I think the most important thing is my church, that's my life," explains Lynch. "My development not only as a basketball player but spiritually is so important to me."
She has put a lot of time developing her life away from the court. She is the local president of Relief Society, a world wide women's organization in charge of serving the women in the area. She has also spent time meeting with families and kids through a program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Activities, basketball and speech communication studies - not only does she do all of them, she does them well. Last year she earned All-Pac-10 Academic honorable mention honors.
Larger than her passion for basketball is her passion for helping people.
"The things that I study religiously make me want to be better to people," says Lynch. "I know that when you lose yourself in service, you'll find out who you are. I want to emulate a Christ-like person so that's where my passion for people comes."
Because so many have been good examples to the senior forward, she now has the opportunity to be a role model for others.
"I'm so grateful for the people that have always been good to me," says Lynch. "I want to do that for people. I want to work with youth, changes their lives and give them hope. I believe in them (children) and a lot of times, that's all they need is someone to believe in them."
Lynch says here father is her hero. Not only did he instill the charitable identity that Lynch possess, but gave her a couple of hoops pointers as well.
"I watched him work with people, and he was very patient and always gave me a perspective on life," says Lynch of her father. "He's the one that taught me my little swing move under the basket."
Following school, Lynch plans on going on a mission through her church before getting involved in a career. While its not clear exactly what she will be doing, it is clear it will be something that to help people.
"If I get the opportunity to play, I will go play for a season," says Lynch about the future. "I would love to go on a mission because I love sharing the Gospel because it changes peoples lives. I know it changed my life."
Beyond that are several question marks for Lynch, only because there are so many opportunities. Graduate school, seminary, marriage and motherhood are just a few of the options Lynch looks forward to beyond here time at UW and the mission field.
Luckily for Washington, the Huskies will get the her services throughout the season as they make another run for a Pac-10 Championship and the NCAA Tournament. For now, there is a mission to be accomplished on the hardwood. Lynch is going, and she's bringing her teammates with her.
