This could be the start of something special.

In the most anticipated return since Michael Jordan (the first time), Rachel Laws played for the Binghamton University women’s basketball team last night for the first time in almost a month. The senior forward only logged 14 minutes of action, but that’s a good sign considering she missed seven games with an ankle injury. Laws is the star of this team, and a player who will be key for them down the stretch.

The Bearcats are a very good team, but with Laws they have the potential to be a great team. They went 4-3 without her, including a blowout loss to a lousy UMBC squad.

Would Laws have made a difference in that game? I’d say yes. Anytime Rachel Laws is on the court she changes the dynamic of the team. Opponents have to be aware of where she is on the floor at all times.

“They were playing without Rachel and she’s such a good player, without her they’re a different team,” agreed UMBC head coach Phil Stern after his team demolished BU 63-37 last week. With Laws out, the Retrievers were able to focus solely on containing Laine Kurpniece, thus taking away the Bearcats’ post offense. And when the perimeter shooters went cold, the Bearcats didn’t stand a chance without the ability to score down low.

It’s a different story with Laws on the court. She’s that special player who demands a double-team and whom opponents spend extra time preparing for. She can dominate from anywhere on the court, and can deliver the big shot when her team needs it.

The Bearcats have all the pieces in place to be a great team. They have a pass-first point guard in Shea Kenny, and a deadly shooter in Jen Blues. They have one of the most intimidating post presences in the league in Laine Kurpniece. Jen Haubrich is that rare player whose energy alone can change the flow of a game. The bench, led by Laura Sario, is one of the deepest in the conference. But something is still missing. The Bearcats need a star to pull all of the different pieces together.

And Rachel Laws is that star.

Coaches around the league respect her and fear seeing her in the lineup.

“The key to this team is their go-to player, their all-conference selection, and that’s Rachel Laws,” said Albany head coach Trina Patterson. “They have the experience, they have solid post players, they have the shooter. And they have the star.”

All great basketball teams have certain characteristics in common. The Chicago Bulls of the early ’90s would not have reached the pinnacles they did without Jordan, even though there were other great basketball players on those teams.

The same goes for this squad. Without Laws, the Bearcats are a very good team, definitely a team good enough to finish second or third in the America East. When you add Laws back into the mix, the team is capable of winning the conference title and earning its first bid to the NCAA tournament.

With Rachel Laws in the lineup, the team doesn’t lose by 26 to UMBC.

The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship last season following the same formula: they used very good players designed to fit specific roles with one go-to star rising above the rest. Just as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli need Tim Duncan, the Bearcats need Rachel Laws. Without her, they will be forever good, but never quite reaching great.