Beyond the conjunction in their styles of play, Saturday's NCAA Tournament matchup against Stanford rep-resents more for these players.

It is a chance to take on a basketball powerhouse with arguably the nation's top sixth player, Stanford junior and second-team All-American Kristin Folkl.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, that opportunity will not come. Folkl, the Cardinal's leading scorer and rebounder and the 1997 NCAA Player of the Year in volleyball, tore her anterior cruciate ligament and suffered damage to meniscus cartilage in her left knee during a routine lay-up drill in practice on Tuesday.

She will require surgery and will not be able to play in the tournament. Still, Harvard's sixth women have tremendous respect for what their Cardinal counterpart has accomplished, and they feel agreat deal of sympathy for her.

"If you took all of my athleticism, like all ofit, every last ounce of my athleticism, it wouldfit in the last edge of Kristin Folkl's pinky--thewoman is exceptional," Russell says. "But thatjust makes you psyched to play her."

"I think Kristin Folkl lends legitimacy to therole of the sixth woman," Brandt adds. "Itdefinitely psyched me up when I heard that she wasa sixth person because I think it's awesome thatsomeone can come into a game and have such anamazing impact on her team.

"I would have been very psyched to go in therewith her and try to, if not counter her, at leasttry to temper her impact. I'm very sad that shewon't be out there playing with us because itwould have been amazing to play with someone ofher caliber. You never want to see someone getinjured."

Despite Folkl's absence, Harvard's sixth womenwill still play in Maples Pavilion, home to one ofthe richest traditions in women's collegebasketball. And for these three women, thatopportunity is the chance of a lifetime.

"It's pretty exciting to me that we get to playon the same court as Stanford because that hasalways been something, growing up, that I'vewanted to do," says Brandt, who is a Seattlenative.

Still more significant, however, will be thefinality Brandt will experience sometime withinthe next three weeks. Kowal and Russell have nextyear, when both will likely crack the startinglineup.

But for Brandt, regardless of how far Harvardgoes in the postseason, the NCAA Tournament willbe the culmination of a wonderful career. Andsome-where along the line, these three sixth womenwill check into a game together for the last time.

"[Sixth woman] is an amazing role that thethree of us have shared, and no one else has beena part of that role," Brandt says. "I think it'sfantastic that we're going to have a chance to doit one more time."

It is clear that Kowal and Russell feel thesame way.

"I really wouldn't want to go into the gamewith any other person on the team but SarahBrandt, hands down," says Russell. "Going into thegame against Stanford with Sarah Brandt next tome; it, to me, is why I play basketball and why Ilove this team."

As for Brandt, who will play in her 106thcareer game for Harvard on Saturday, she regretsthat her time with her fellow enforcers islimited, but she plans to enjoy every last secondof it. After all, the senior is heading back tothe West Coast and the court she grew up dreamingabout, with the opportunity to make historyalongside fellow sixth women Russell and Kowal.

"I definitely do [feel like now is the time],"Brandt says. "As a senior who does not have afuture in pro basketball, this is my last chanceto enjoy the pure adrenaline and the exhaustionand the comraderie that comes with team sports.

"Lisa has a fantastic career ahead of her,"continues Brandt, "and I'm ending mine with thislast push through the NCAAs. I feel like enteringthe game with Lisa is a nice merging of Harvard'spast and future.

"[Russell] is someone who I have a tremendousamount of respect for as a player, a team leaderand a friend. She provides such an emotional liftto every member of our team, and I think that I'vetried to emulate that spirit this year in my ownplay. When Kathy gives us the nod on Saturday, I'mplanning to simply enjoy the moment.

"I'm psyched as all hell that I'm going to getto try it one more time against a one seed--I meanthat doesn't happen very often," Brandt says. "Thechance to make a difference in that game is goingto be fantastic, and I wouldn't have it any otherway.