Dwyer has contributed to some of CU’s most successful teams

Over a stretch of almost four seasons, Lauren Dwyer has quietly become one of the most accomplished players in Columbia women’s basketball history. On Feb. 11, the senior co-captain reached a major milestone by scoring her 1,000th career point.

“I’ve realized how fortunate I am,” she said. “It’s not just about skill—it’s really about being in a good situation.”

For Dwyer, that “good situation” includes playing for head coach Paul Nixon, being part of a team that she loves, and staying healthy.

Dwyer noted that injuries have never sidelined her at Columbia. “I haven’t had to miss a game yet in my career,” she said. “And I think that part of it is just as big as the ability to score.”
Of course, her skill has also played a large role in her success. Nixon rattled off a list of ways that Dwyer, a four-year starter, can score: with her back to the basket, facing the basket, off the dribble, and off the drive.

“She’s been a very versatile offensive player since she walked on campus,” Nixon said. “Obviously, you’re not going to score 1,000 points unless you can do so in a variety of fashions.”

Dwyer’s versatility has allowed her not only to become a prolific scorer, but also to remain relevant within the evolving Columbia offense. As a freshman, Dwyer played center in a four-guard lineup, relying on her low-post moves to score points. Then, as a sophomore and junior, she played alongside forward Judie Lomax, BC ’10. Because Lomax could score in the paint, Dwyer was free to score from the perimeter in addition to using her inside game.

This year, she saw time as a center when the Lions played with four guards. With freshman Courtney Bradford taking over as Columbia’s starting center, however, Dwyer now plays as a power forward.

“When you look at her career as a whole, she’s done a really nice job of really giving whatever the team has needed,” Nixon said.

Entering Columbia’s home game against Brown on Feb. 4, Dwyer was 28 points away from 1,000. She scored 14 points against the Bears, meaning that she would reach the mark if she scored another 14 against Yale on Feb. 5. But she scored only four points against the Bulldogs, leaving her 10 shy of 1,000 with the Lions beginning a four-game road swing.

When Dwyer reached the 1,000-point mark, she did so in undesirable conditions: on the road and in the middle of a blowout loss. Her first two points of the second half at Princeton—points 999 and 1,000 of her career—cut Columbia’s deficit to 14. The Lions ended the night with a 57-35 defeat. Dwyer finished with 12 points, eight of which came in Columbia’s 11-point first half.

“I don’t think she’s a player [who] necessarily put any pressure on herself to score the 1,000th,” Nixon said. “In the Princeton game, she was just trying to help us score, period.”

“It’s not like she was A-Rod, who needed multiple games to get [his 600th homerun],” he added. “She kind of chipped away at it the way she has been her whole career.”

At Penn on Feb. 12, Dwyer had seven points. She has now scored 1,009 career points, the eighth most in Columbia history, and has also recorded 505 career rebounds and 132 career blocks. According to Columbia Athletics, she is only the second Columbia player ever to reach the 1,000-point, 500-rebound, and 100-block marks.

“To be in that now very elite group … I think really gives a better picture of her overall contribution to the program over these four years,” Nixon said.

Dwyer will finish her time at Columbia not only as one of its most decorated players, but also as a member of its most accomplished team. In the 2007-2008 season, Dwyer’s freshman year, the Lions went a program-best 7-7 in Ivy League play. In her sophomore season, Columbia finished with 13 overall wins, a program record at the Division I level. Then, last year, the Lions broke both of those records with 18 overall victories and a 9-5 Ivy campaign.

With only six games remaining on Columbia’s schedule, Dwyer’s collegiate career is drawing rapidly to a close. Her memories of her years with the Lions, however, will remain.

“I’m just going to take away how much I enjoy playing the game,” Dwyer said. “When you sit back and think about it, I’m very fortunate to be doing something that I truly enjoy day in and day out. And it’s been a great way to spend my four years here at Columbia.”