McKinley Dickerson nears her return to the court after 20 months away
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - A familiar face is back with the Cowgirl basketball team this year.
In just a few days, Lyman’s own McKinley Dickerson is set to make her return to the court following a season away. Dickerson spent that year on a mission trip for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She felt the experience gave her a much needed inner reset; once she came back to the Cowboy State, the itch to hoop again did too.
”It was pretty awesome. I think it was like the mental break I needed, going down on the mission trip. It was super chill. Just being down there, being with the people, it was awesome. And then just like coming back, I was a little bit nervous for what I wanted to do. But when [Head] Coach [Heather] Ezell and I talked I knew what I wanted to do, and I knew it was right for me. So it made that decision [to come back] much easier for me,” Dickerson said.
“It’s kind of funny,” Ezell added. “She came to the game at Utah State and watched us play, and then I think it was a day later my phone rang while I was sitting [with my] baby. She goes ‘coach, is there a spot for me?’ And I said ‘absolutely, no doubt about it.’”
It’s a massive boost for the Cowgirls having Dickerson back in the fold. They lost their longtime backcourt duo in Quinn Weidemann and Tommi Olson to graduation, so she will help fill that gap from a production and leadership standpoint. Dickerson’s a certified bucket getter, as she led the team in scoring her sophomore (11.5 PPG) and junior (14.9 PPG) years. Her performance during the 2021-2022 season earned her All-Mountain West honors as well.
Something for fans to keep an eye on this upcoming year in particular-- the senior is currently 19th all time on the Cowgirls’ three pointers made list. She’ll certainly have a chance to see how far she climb up that ladder; however, Dickerson expects to impact the game far beyond just the scoring column.
”I think [my role] might be a little bit different. I’m still finding my place with these new teammates. We’ve got Allyson [Fertig] who’s a big scorer for us. We’ve got Tess [Barnes] and Emily [Mellema] who are coming in, they’ve improved a ton and it’s been awesome to see that. So I will still do my part, but I’m just going to find my nice little role to make this team go forward and win,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson’s first collegiate game action in 20 months will be on Nov. 6 when the Cowgirls open their season at home against North Dakota.
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