Senior guard Erica Junod says she didn’t mind being part of the ISU women’s basketball scout team for a while.

But now, she’s glad to move forward and start helping Iowa State in games.

Junod, who sat out the Cyclones’ first three games of the season following an NCAA decision on her eligibility, will start her first game at 7 p.m. Wednesday as Iowa State hosts instate rival Iowa at Hilton Coliseum.

“Whatever that ordeal was, [it was] kind of a distraction,” said Junod, the Cyclones’ lone senior. “Obviously, we’ve got a big game coming up here, and we need to get focused on what’s going on there.”

With the Cyclones at 2-1 on the young season, Junod said she is proud of how her teammates rose to the occasion.

“[I’m proud of] the leadership that people have accepted and have been shown, how hard they played,” Junod said. “I’m just proud of the girls what they’ve done. Now we have to move forward and keep forward.”

Junod said sitting out in practice helped her to see little things that needed to be improved in her teammates’ games.

“You see … stuff that we practice that maybe they don’t realize that they’ve done,” Junod said. “You just mention a few things here and there. I just joined the scout team for a little bit. Now it’s over with and now we have to keep going.”

ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said having Junod back is positive for the team in many ways.

“Erica gives us lots of options,” Fennelly said. “She does a lot with the 3-point shooting. She’s been here and knows the big picture. She’s so excited. And it’s exciting to have her start in our home opener.”

Junior center Lisa Kriener said Iowa State needs Junod back in the starting lineup.

“Just the way that she brings us all together, it makes us more pumped up, ready to go,” Kriener said. “Having her return is going to be huge for us.”

Junod is the only senior on the team, but Kriener said the team responded well without her leadership.

“It’s been an adjustment as far as a leadership role. It’s an adjustment that we had to make. We really didn’t have a choice over it,” Kriener said. “I was really proud of the way our team played together.”