‘Pressure is a privilege’: All eyes on Rice WBB’s quest to defend title
Seven months after their American Athletic Conference tournament championship, the Rice women’s basketball team returns to the court to defend their title.
Rice entered its first AAC tournament as the No. 10 seed but went on a four-game winning streak, securing a bid in the NCAA women’s bracket. The Owls drew Louisiana State University in the first round and put up an admirable fight before falling to the Angel Reese-led squad, 70-60.
Head coach Lindsay Edmonds acknowledges that Rice’s conference tournament championship has earned them villain status in the AAC.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Edmonds said. “We do have a little bit of a target on our back. I’ve been a part of a program that won back-to-back conference championships — that first one’s hard, but the second one is really, really hard, because everyone is going to give you their best shot.”
Edmonds said the players remain dedicated to getting better every day through practices and games. Part of their mission includes staying mentally strong to avoid hitting lulls throughout the year, such as the five-game losing streak they endured at the end of the 2023-24 regular season. They also want to dominate winnable games, which means if they’re projected to win by 20 points, they win by 20 points, not just nine or 10, according to Edmonds.
“The motivation definitely has been different [this offseason] now that we have tasted what it’s like to get to March Madness and to win the championship,” senior forward Malia Fisher said. “That’s something we want to get back to. We want a ring.”
While some teams may not handle a high-pressure message well, Edmonds said this year’s Owls can.
“A year or two ago, I couldn’t say those things to the team,” Edmonds said. “They wouldn’t have been able to handle that pressure. But I think this team appreciates it; they want it, and they’re ready to step up to the challenges.”
The Owls returned the bulk of last season’s roster, which should give them an advantage in their quest to win the AAC. However, they’ll still have to fill the massive void left by Destiny Jackson, who graduated.
“No one is able to be what [Jackson] was for us last year, but every single person has to step up and bring a little bit more so that we can fill her shoes,” Edmonds said. “People are looking at different roles, people are looking at different positions, people are looking at different playing times.”
Edmonds has confidence in her roster to survive the loss of Jackson, citing their increased mental strength.
“This team is the most veteran and the most mature team I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Edmonds said. “I can challenge them in ways that a year or two ago, I couldn’t, because we weren’t mentally mature enough to handle that.”
When asked about the players she’s excited for this season, Edmonds couldn’t pick just one. She named 10 different players, including Fisher, who has extended her range and gotten better from the perimeter, senior center Sussy Ngulefac, whose new outside shot could elevate her game to the next level, and junior guard Jazzy Owens-Barnett, who is running the team as Jackson’s replacement at point guard.
“I still text [Jackson] a couple times a week asking for advice,” Owens-Barnett said. “[I’m] not necessarily trying to fill her shoes — those are pretty humongous shoes to fill — but being able to just take on the role in my own way and be able to lead the team in a way that I know she would still be proud of.”
The Owls also have a few additions, including sophomore guard Victoria Flores, who transferred to South Main from Texas Christian University, and freshmen guards Jill Twiehaus and Aniah Alexis.
Rice’s recent tournament championship and March Madness berth have helped lure talented players like Flores, Twiehaus and Alexis, as well as future recruits and commits, to the program.
“The Rice degree is incredible, but now you’re talking about being a champion, playing in the [AAC], competing at a high level and going to the NCAA tournament,” Edmonds said. “Before, I was saying that we were going to do those things. Now, I’m saying we’ve done those things.”
The Owls’ regular season opens on Nov. 4 against South Dakota State University. The Jackrabbits have earned NCAA tournament bids in each of the last two seasons, going 56-12 over that span. They haven’t lost a conference game since March 3, 2022.
The game against SDSU not only pits Rice against a tough opponent but also gives the Owls an opportunity to celebrate last season’s success. The program will reveal their championship banner and hand out their rings prior to the season-opening conference, setting a standard of winning as the quest to defend their title gets underway.
“We need a big crowd here for [the SDSU game],” Edmonds said. “We want to celebrate last year’s success, but we want to get out to a great start this year, as well.”
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