Kaniya Boyd has grown into a key player for Lady Vols basketball over her redshirt freshman season.

She’s the kind of player who feels tailor-made for coach Kim Caldwell’s system with her defensive ability, athleticism and speed. The 5-foot-9 point guard from Las Vegas has been a spark off the bench, and her minutes are increasing the deeper the Lady Vols get into the season.

Boyd is averaging 16.9 minutes, which is sixth-highest on the team. But over the last six games, Boyd’s minutes have jumped up to 19.5 per game.

She’s starting to hit her stride in SEC play to become a consistent contributor, but it’s everything beyond the stat sheet that’s earning her more minutes.

“She doesn’t act like a freshman,” Caldwell said Tuesday. “She has some moments where she has some freshman eyes, but in practice, she’s on her teammates. She’s leading. She’s on our leadership committee, because she is vocal. She is the future of this program

Caldwell called Boyd one of their best, if not their best, on-ball defender. Boyd makes things happen in the press, and she can “go get rebounds anytime she wants,” even if she needs to be reminded of that at times.

Boyd is constantly giving the effort Caldwell wants to see, from taking charges to diving on loose balls.