Last season was supposed to be April McKinney’s time to shine.

She had cemented her spot in the starting lineup and was expected to be a leader on a team dominated by underclassmen.

But those plans never materialized. She suffered through stress fractures in her feet throughout the year and never played at full strength.

“She struggled last year,” said coach Jill Pizzotti. “She never went into a game feeling physically great.”

McKinney appeared in 25 games, but only started 16 because of the injuries. She averaged just over five points a game and pulled down nearly five rebounds each contest.

The stress fractures slowed the improvement that McKinney had been displaying in her career.

“Her freshman year was tremendous. She just struggled last year with the injuries,” Pizzotti said.

McKinney is healthy now and is showing exactly what she is capable of.

“This is my senior year, and I’m not going to let anything stop me,” said McKinney.

She’s started every contest for the Billikens and is averaging eight points a game and 6.4 rebounds in 25 minutes a contest. She leads the team in blocked shots (29) and steals (28).

McKinney has added an accurate skyhook to her offensive arsenal this year.

“I used it a lot in high school. But I laid off it early on here,” McKinney said. “This year, I realized that it was something that I could use to score. I’m not the strongest one on the team, so I need something.”

“Everyone’s fallen in love with her hook shot,” Pizzotti said. “It’s tough to defend. You can’t get to it unless you foul her. She doesn’t have a big body, so she has to play with finesse on the blocks. It’s her best way to score.”

But McKinney’s biggest contributions don’t show up in the stat sheet.

“She really makes a difference defensively with her tenacity,” Pizzotti said. “Her long arms make people adjust. Her help defense is great. She does a lot of things that don’t show up.

“When we need a stabilizing force, she provides it. There were several games early this year where we needed something and April gave us what we needed,” Pizzotti said.

McKinney plays an integral role in SLU’s full court press. She plays the top of the zone and provides constant pressure on the ball.

“I’ve been at the top of the press since elementary school,” McKinney said. “I like defense more than offense. There’s something about seeing someone in a trap, seeing them panic, that I like.”

McKinney knows her role is to lead. But she leads through her play.

“I just go out and try to be a leader. I go and show that I’m dedicated and that that’s the way that the rest of the team needs to be,” McKinney said.

McKinney’s goal for the rest of the year, like many players, is to make the NCAA Tournament.

“I feel that it’s within reach. We want to be the first team to go in SLU’s history,” McKinney said.

Whatever the outcome for the year, McKinney has already proven to herself that she can beat whatever a season can throw at her.

“I’m real happy and proud of her,” Pizzotti said. “She’s making the most of it. It’s her last year, and she’s determined to make it her best.”