Ceal Barry had a front-row seat for Jackie McFarland's final game at Colorado on Wednesday night at the Coors Events Center.

The legendary former coach watched her last great recruit lead the Buffs with 17 points in an 86-72 loss to Marquette in the semifinals of the WNIT.

Kathy McConnell-Miller has been CU's head coach for three years, but perhaps she has finally arrived after guiding the program to its first winning record and postseason appearance since the 2003-04 season.

"I think we got better on the things that we needed to focus on," McConnell-Miller said after her team finished with a 19-15 record. "We made it competitive, made it challenging and really had a fresh start. The majority of the players responded, and that was exciting for us as coaches."

McFarland, who is headed to a WNBA pre-draft camp in Florida, will certainly be missed after finishing her career second all-time at CU in scoring (1,957) and rebounding (1,049).

But McConnell-Miller has put together a talented nucleus with a chance to get back into the NCAA Tournamentnext season. Here's a look at the key returning players for 2008-09:

Brittany Spears. The 6-foot-1 swing player put together one of the greatest freshman seasons in program history, finishing with 472 points, 259 rebounds, 64 assists, 57 steals and 52 blocks.

"I think once she has time to reflect on this year and see what she's done and watch herself on film and has time to separate ... I think she's going to see the potential that we see," McConnell-Miller said. "Although her statistics are very good, we know she's capable of so much more and we feel like every day we raise the bar for her."

Spears averaged 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds this season. The coaching staff expects her to fill up the box score -- like she did against Gonzaga in the WNIT with 22 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks -- more consistently as a sophomore.

Whitney Houston. The sophomore point guard was technically Susie Power's back up this season, but anyone who watched the Buffs' postseason run understands who was running the show.

McFarland scored 100 points during the WNIT, and Houston's game also seemed to be reborn after the team's difficult finish to the Big 12 schedule.

"I'm going to be ready coming out of the gate next year," Houston said. "I can say this year I was tentative about things, making mistakes and stuff. And that's what got to me. But next year I'm going to be ready."

Houston will have to score more points, hand out more assists and turn the ball over less next season as the starting point guard.

Bianca Smith. The sophomore shooting guard was third on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and set a CU record for most 3-pointers made in a season (80).

"I think it will boost our confidence for next year, especially with so many people returning and only two people leaving," Smith said of the WNIT experience. "We're coming in knowing we can compete and go far in the postseason. We know where we're at and where we need to be."

Smith and Hannah Skildum will be pushed for playing time next season by transfer Kelly Jo Mullaney, who will have three years of eligibility after leading Colorado State in scoring during the 2006-07 season.

Aija Putnina. The talented 6-3 forward from Riga, Latvia, handled McConnell-Miller's decision to bring her off the bench in the WNIT very well.

With the loss of McFarland, the Buffs will need Putnina to start again next season and play like she did against TCU in the quarterfinals when she scored a career-high 22 points with 10 rebounds and four blocks.

"We played together really well," Putnina said. "It was great."

Kara Richards. The coaching staff raves about how good the 6-4 center is in practice, and she will have to transfer those performances to the games next season.

The senior-to-be started all four WNIT games and gave the Buffs a spark in the second half against Marquette with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting.

Alyssa Fressle. It's no secret that keeping Colorado's best prep players from leaving the state has been a problem for CU women's basketball in recent years. The signing the Highlands Ranch star was a very positive step for McConnell-Miller in putting her stamp on the program.

Expect Fressle to make an immediate impact next season as a true freshman.