Could improved inside depth help BYU women make NCAA tourney run?

STANFORD, Calif. — The No. 7-seeded BYU women's basketball team (25-6) begins NCAA Tournament play Saturday, taking on No. 10 seed Auburn (22-9) at 1:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN2.

It's a spot not many thought the Cougars would wind up in before the season started, nor midway through West Coast Conference play when a three-game losing streak could have brought them back to earth. That three-game speed bump started with losses on the road to Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount and continued with a tough 78-75 home loss to Saint Mary's.

Shortly after the losing streak, sophomore guard Paisley Johnson maintained a high level of confidence, consistently stating that the goal of her team remained making the…