Are the “small things” sufficient ???

it's funny.  We complete a weekend road sweep in which opponents averaged 37 points and folks are complaining about our defense.

I'm sure Rueck is starting her out of loyalty to seniors so that she can say she started every game in her senior year.  She is usually the first player to be subbed out, which is a sure sign that SR understands her limitations.  Many Katie supporters were predicting a breakout season for her (as they always do -- "She'll be all-Pac-12", etc.), but of course it never materializes.  She's still, as a senior, making bad passes and failing in the other ways you mention.  She's got physical limitations that can't be overcome, due mainly to a lack of strength and speed.  She's a pretty solid player, otherwise, that you like to have take the occasional clutch shot.

Good topic, thoughtful post.
Some of it I even agree with.

I think we expected great things from KTMac this year because the team could really use it: size-wise she represents a mismatch, and she appears to have the skills to do serious damage on the offensive end. Especially since (and this is where I went off and did some research) almost all of our highly-rated recruits have progressed to great heights (and even some of our less-heralded recruits for that matter). 
KT's minutes steadily increased her first 3 years: 20.1 -> 20.9 -> 32.7, but they are down so far this year (26.7), likely with the continued emergence of Aleah and Mik, and the presence of Destiny, but also because of her somewhat more modest contributions.
Her scoring average has steadily risen: 3.2 -> 4.8 -> 8.1 to even thus far this year, 8.7 (so she has gotten more efficient in her scoring as well). Rebounds: 2.0 -> 2.5 -> 4.1 this year dropping to 3.0. 
She has never had a double-double, but in double figures scoring 7 games this season, and 22 times in her career. She has also had one double-figure rebounding game, and exceeded 20 points once in her career (29 against Lamar, a game I remember well, as it was the first game of the season for us, and I thought, "if KTMac plays like that every game, we will be a very, very tough out").

Clearly coach sees value in starting her (74 games started out of 104 played in, started all 34 last year and all 20 thus far this year).
Perhaps for glue, to get us off on the right foot, for her D, her O, I am not sure what. But our coach tends to play percentages, and it seems like starting her, even without eye-popping stats, is a winning proposition.

I will admit to being surprised at how many shots she seems to be passing up of late. Being a "coaches kid", she tends to play a more cerebral game than an instinctual game (note that I am mostly not that impressed with how, uh, instinctual the games of the older two of "my three sons" in MBB is). She seems to have a deferential/reserved personality type, to where I was very surprised at how emotional she was after hitting the 4 point play in OT against the 'ucks last season - it is part of the intro video this year). 

Is she a contributor? Absolutely. Would we win the Pac-12 if she went off for 12-16 points a night? Perhaps. Does she show up big for big games? Seems to do so. Is she interested in "getting hers" to the tune of 12-16 ppg? Doesn't seem like it to date, and she only has ~20 more games to do so in an OSU uniform. (Don't know if the coach wants her to try to get hers to whatever number of attempts that would take - shooting 41% from the field, 45% from 3, and 85% from FT line seems would indicate more shots from her wouldn't be unwelcome).

All of that said, one can argue she has upped her game every year, and she is clearly doing enough to be our starter this season, and the results are pretty darn good.  But if she could just eat whatever it was she ate before that Lamar game before these next 20 games!! I like our chances, regardless, and KTMac is *still* a reason I like our chances.

Go Beavers!

2ndGenBeaver--thanks for compiling the info on Katie's career...
She is a unique talent, and her game is really hard to analyze.
She is a master of the "quiet things" - things essential to team success that are hard to see but nevertheless vital.
I'm one of those who thought this would be her breakout year, but it looks like I over estimated her total game, especially her ability to score....
At any rate, I'm still a big fan of Katie. She's a trooper. A fighter. A slugger. And as Coach Rueck will tell you: a player.

GO BEAVS !!

The question was "Does Katie Mac deserve so much playing time". I don't know, but obviously coach thinks so. Last season she logged more minutes than anyone. There must be reasoning for that.
I'm not the coach, but I'm guessing the reasoning is:
1---she can handle the ball.....good enough to play point for the Beavs during her career.
2---she is clutch----hitting shots at the end of games, and making her free throws under pressure at the end of games.
3---she understands the game, and knows SR's system.
4---I think most of you know this, but SR grades EVERY basket by the opposing team and determines which Beaver was responsible for allowing them to score. He keeps stats on points his defensive player is responsible for. If Katie Mac was failing in this area, she wouldn't be playing.
5---If she is getting less minutes, who on the current roster is taking minutes from her?

I saw Katie helping her opponent up during that game.  I thought it was refreshing to see a player show some real sportsmanship rather than just mouthing pro-forma platitudes about it.  I don't see it as a "disservice to her team".