Freshman Lindsay Krasna is leading the way in the Red’s mission to prove that the underdog can come out on top.
The freshman has led the women’s basketball team in scoring two out of its four games so far this season, and became the first Cornell player to be named Ivy League rookie of the week in three years. But Krasna is not focused on numbers or awards. She is focused on helping the team prove its critics wrong.
“I want to do whatever I can to help the team win and be successful,” she said.
Krasna came to Cornell as a highly touted recruit, setting scoring records in high school and earning a spot on the United States team in the Maccabiah Games next summer in Israel.
The coaching staff saw the potential in Krasna, who brought a complete game to the Red right from the beginning. During the preseason, head coach Dayna Smith called her a scorer with great passing ability and basketball smarts. Krasna didn’t waste any time proving the coaches right.
In the first two games of the season, Krasna chipped in with a couple of buckets against opponents at the UMBC Tournament.
“The first weekend I was pretty nervous,” she said. “I was just excited to be in it. I kind of got a taste of what it’s like. After the weekend I felt like I was kind of passive on offense. I tried to change that against Bucknell.”
The change was obvious. Krasna led the Red against Bucknell with 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. This was the first time a Cornell player had scored 20 points in a game since the 1998-99 season. Although it wasn’t enough to earn a victory for the Red, the performance earned Krasna Ivy League rookie of the week recognition. The last member of the Red to earn this honor was current assistant coach Karen Force ’04, who went on to become one of the top point guards in Ivy League history, finishing her career with more than 1,250 points and 400 assists.
“I’m thrilled,” Krasna said of the recognition. “It’s a great honor. It’s definitely great company. I really look up to [Force], it’s neat to follow in her footsteps.”
Krasna continued to shine against Canisius in the Red’s home opener on Monday night, leading the Red with 14 points and helping out with six rebounds in the 63-42 loss. But Krasna is not satisfied with putting up big numbers. She’s more interested in adding a few wins to the Red’s record.
“I would definitely say no one’s really happy with how we’re doing,” she said. “Even though expectations are not that high we all really want to win, and bring our record up.”
The Red has said from the beginning that it is happy to play the role of underdog and take people by surprise this season. Despite a strong start, the Red has struggled to take care of the ball and gel as a team on the court. Krasna believes that the lack of experience is only a small obstacle for the Red, one that the team is fully capable of overcoming.
“I just hope to pull out a win soon,” she said. “For the team, the effort’s always there. It’s just a matter of clicking and execution.”
Archived article by Olivia Dwyer
Sun Staff Writer