By Ryan McCord
Cigi McCollin may not have the ideal size or possess an imposing body stature that would lead you to believe that she can successfully shoot over any opposing defender at will.
In fact, the senior from Long Island City would be lucky to make it past the “Must be this tall to ride” sign standing in front of the gate at any Six Flags line.
After finishing second in the CAA in three point field goals made last season, the 5’7″ (with high heels on) shooting guard got wise in attempt to keep her defenders guessing. McCollin decided to use the offseason to slim down in order to run around defenders and make a few easier buckets in what the ’06-’07 Lady Pride will count on for a few more wins in March.
McCollin did not pick up this advice from a fortune cookie or watching episodes of “Lost,” in fact it came from a former No. 1 overall draft pick in the WNBA.
“Shamiqua Holdsclaw, she’s from my neighborhood,” McCollin revealed. “She told me early in the season that I looked really buffed and that it’s good that I’m strong but I need to slim down. I also did it for me because when you’re in great shape you can have more point production, better defense.”
More baskets and improved defense from McCollin will almost undeniably translate in more wins for the Pride this season.
Though captains have not yet been revealed by head coach Kilburn-Stevesky, McCollin knows this is her time to put the clamp down and take control in helping fellow seniors Vanessa Gidden, Lana Harshaw, Jeanell Hughes, and Lizanne Murphy in sharing the priceless role of senior leadership.
“I’m comfortable with that, it comes naturally in the flow of the game because I’m a competitor. I’m learning to do better with stepping outside of myself and speaking up, continue to do what I’ve been doing and lead by example,” said McCollin, who has averaged 12.9 points per game throughout her noteworthy career.
McCollin is confident that her team, who maybe playing with a chip on their shoulder to start the season, can make some noise in the CAA’s come tournament time. At the same time, she presents a train of thought that suggests that the next game is indeed the biggest.
“First we are going to go out and get this game against Wichita to prove that it wasn’t a fluke and we deserved to be in this tournament,” said McCollin, referring to Friday’s first round Preseason NIT game in Kansas. “We have high expectations of winning the CAA, it’s finally our time. We’ve been making noise, now it’s time to complete the job. I feel once we get that CAA championship under our belt and earn an NCAA bid, it will work itself out.”