Mano-a-Mano: Should Sydney Stipanovich receive more playing time?

Through two games this season, one thing is clear for Penn women’s basketball — coach Mike McLaughlin has found a gem in Sydney Stipanovich. With two games under her belt, the freshman center has put up 23 points and has looked impressive in her minutes coming off the bench. The question now becomes: Should she be in the starting lineup?

Holden McGinnis: Despite being winless through its first two games of the season, there have been a few bright spots for Penn women’s basketball. The brightest of these has to be Stipanovich, who is averaging a team-high 11.5 points in just 19 minutes per game.

Though this is a team that has thrived on its upperclassmen leadership, it might be time for a change in coach McLaughlin’s rotation. Stipanovich is going to need to see more playing time early in the season before the team makes it to the Ivy League portion of the season. She’s going to need starter’s minutes sooner rather than later if the Quakers want to find success this season.

Steven Tydings: I see where you are coming from. Of course, whenever you see a talent coming aboard like Stipanovich, you are going to want to give her plentiful minutes right from the start. However, I am going to preach patience.

The Red and Blue have two very solid veteran forwards in juniors Katy Allen and Kara Bonenberger. The duo has been reliable in the paint for Penn the last two years alongside senior Courtney Wilson, and it would be silly to think that they can’t continue to give the Quakers solid minutes. Despite Stipanovich’s diverse skill set, McLaughlin needs to ease her into big minutes as the season goes on.

Additionally, it has always been McLaughlin’s M.O. to bring his freshmen along slowly, although Meghan McCullough’s injury last year forced Keiera Ray into big minutes early on a season ago.

HM: That all makes sense. I can’t say that there is anything particularly wrong with an Allen-Bonenberger frontcourt, but clearly the Quakers are going to need to make some changes this season if they want to contend for the Ivy League title.

Penn is playing this year with a lineup almost identical to last year’s (other than the McCullough injury) and will likely head to a similar result if they continue on this track. Stipanovich’s skill set is diverse, just as you said, so there’s no reason she shouldn’t be able to immediately find a way into a number of different lineups for the Quakers. If you have a player this clearly talented, you need to take advantage before the season slips away.

ST: When the Quakers begin Ivy League play in January, the key to pulling out the conference is finding a second wind, especially when facing teams for the second time. By limiting Stipanovich’s minutes early on, you can ensure her health going into the 14-game tournament that truly decides the season.

Also, by letting Stipanovich crack the starting lineup later on, Penn’s Ivy foes will have less tape on the freshman. Therefore, McLaughlin’s utilization of his star center will come as more of a surprise to the rest of the Ancient Eight, making Penn a different and better team when Princeton and Harvard come around.

Verdict: Let her grow during nonconference play. Holden takes this one.