Lindsay Baker admits there was a time when her biggest concern on the basketball court was scoring. Now, the 17-year-old junior at Warsaw Community High School plays for categories, as she described it. “When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I was only focused on scoring,” said Baker, who has verbally committed to play NCAA Division I basketball at University of Toledo. “Now, I focus on the other things. I wanna put up numbers in the other categories – rebounds, assists, steals. Some people get caught up in whether or not a person scores 20 points per game. The little things, like finding and open teammate, or playing defense, or blocking out and getting a rebound, those things are just as important.” Upon first glance, Baker’s numbers are modest – she averages 14 points per game. It’s the fact that she also averages five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game that helped her earn Times-Union Area Player of the Year honors. Baker, the daughter Scott and Christine Baker, joins other recent Warsaw recipients Kelci Freds (2010), Julie Seiss (2007, 2008) and Jaclyn Leininger (2003, 2004). “Lindsay Baker is a leader,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter. “She does so many other things, it’s not just about scoring. A lot of teams focus on Lindsay, and Lindsay is so unselfish, she’s able to find an open teammate. She’s very smart on the court, and she knows how to get the ball where it needs to go.” Baker – who is pretty smart in the classroom as well, with her 12.43 GPA and her ranking of 35th in her class of 547 – is a big reason the Lady Tigers will take a 16-4 record into this week’s 37th annual girls state tournament. Warsaw drew the bye and plays the winner of Elkhart rivals Central and Memorial Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Lady Tigers have lost 12-straight games to Memorial and are looking for their first sectional championship since Leininger and Co. led them to the state finals in 2004. If Baker has anything to say about it, both of those streaks will end this week. “I love playing in big games,” said Baker. “There’s nothing like being able to play with the best competition in the state.” In the TCU Lady Tiger Lady Tournament, Baker scored 25 points against Perry Meridian in the semifinals, and backed it up with 26 points against Class 4A No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern in a 62-56 loss. Hamilton Southeastern is 20-0, and Warsaw is among just four teams that were within 12 points of HSE at the end of the game. Baker was also a key ingredient in wins over 4A No. 2 Penn and 3A No. 3 NorthWood. Against Penn, Baker had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists. The Lady Tigers are the only team to beat Penn – last year’s state runner-up – this season. Against NorthWood, Baker had 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds. “Lindsay has the ability to step up in big games,” said Harter. “She performs when we need her to step up – whether it’s making a big shot, making a pass to an open teammate, playing defense. She does the little things, and that’s what makes her special.” Baker leads Warsaw in scoring, assists and steals, and is third in rebounds behind frontliners Sarah Heagy and Nikki Grose, both of whom grab seven boards per game. While Baker isn’t the leading scorer in the area, she did lead her team to a 4-0 record against other teams in the Times-Union coverage area. The Lady Tigers beat Tippecanoe Valley and Triton by 20, Wawasee by 29 and Whitko by 34.
