Senior forward brings experience, defense to revamped team

By Evan Neustater and Maddy Adams     11/12/14 2:32pm

Following the loss of Rice University’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder Jessica Kuster, senior forward Christal Porter looks to step up and become a senior leader on the Rice women’s basketball team. 

After starting in 29 games last season, the Germantown, Tennessee native was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, Porter was selected by players and coaches as the Rice Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

According to Porter, choosing to attend Rice was a combination of parental influence and her enthusiasm for the program and its athletes.

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“I picked Rice because I really connected with the team that was here,” Porter, a Lovett College senior, said. “My dad was really impressed with Rice’s beautiful campus, but I didn’t even realize how beautiful the campus was. What really drew me was the players.”

For Porter, her teammates continue to help her and the team succeed. Porter said her teammates are the reason she has grown as a player and will help her take the next step as she becomes a leader on the team.

“My teammates have been very impactful in play development,” Porter said. “They encourage  me on and off the court and help identify things I can do better, what I can try to do differently. They help me analyze my style of play and get better and push me to work hard by setting an example.”

Following a 2013-14 season that saw the Owls go 13-17 and 6-10 in conference, Rice looks to improve upon its record and become a contender in the C-USA. 

Porter said she is looking forward to playing large state schools during the non-conference portion of the schedule, but she remains focused on staying motivated during conference play and the postseason.

“I see us definitely going deep into the conference tournament,” Porter said. “I think the [non-conference schedule] will be fun against big schools like [Texas A&M University] and [the University of Texas, Austin], but this team will stay energized and pull together during post season.”

Porter said she is looking forward to her final year of collegiate athletics. According to Porter, she wants to enjoy her final year as a collegiate athlete while setting an example for her younger teammates.

“This last year I’m really excited to experience and enjoy it one last time,” Porter said. “My goal is to play hard and do my best every day. I want to be a leader for the team by being vocal and supportive.”

On a team featuring five seniors, dubbed “The Fab Five” by players and coaches, Porter wants to spend her final season playing with the friends she has made on the team over the years. However, Porter said her primary goal is to leave a legacy that promotes leadership and support for the younger athletes on the team.

“The legacy I want to leave the team are the values of a good leader,” Porter said. “I want to show them how to [be] vocally supportive and how to be a good teammate on and off the court.”

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