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Unbeaten in conference play, on a 10-game winning streak and leading the Missouri Valley Conference in nearly every relevant defensive category. Those are credentials similar to teams the Wichita State women’s basketball team have been chasing since coach Jody Adams arrived four seasons ago.
Chasing is all these players have ever known. But now WSU is the team out in front, thanks to a 7-0 start in the Valley. Starting Friday, when second-place Illinois State travels to Koch Arena, how the Shockers handle success will go a long way in determining if a first Missouri Valley championship is within reach.
“We know that now we are at the top, people are going to be playing their best games against us,” said Jessica Diamond, WSU’s starting point guard. “We’ve been in that position before, wanting to go in and knock off whoever that team was. But now that’s us, and we’ve got to continue to focus on us and what we do best.”
Adams believes her players are prepared to handle the success. Players say that she has never wavered from the foundation she established on day one, which has given them something to believe in.
“Jody stays consistent in everything that she does,” junior Jazimen Gordon said. “Even from the get go, when we were freshmen, she was on us to get it right. At first, I didn’t get it because I didn’t know what I was walking into and I had never won a championship. Following her lead now though, I see what she’s talking about.”
Regardless of the record, the Shockers aren’t willing to accept the role of favorite. They say they have the same hunger they had when they were fighting just to achieve mediocrity. Winning, of course, has helped. But as the winning streak has grown, so has the desire to stay rooted in their foundation.
“I think it does secure our philosophies, and I think it secures their confidence in what we do each and every day,” Adams said. “But most of all, it secures who we are and what we’re about.”
Senior Haleigh Lankster is the only link to Adams’ first season coaching the Shockers. She persevered through a roster makeover after her first year, endured the lumps of playing major minutes in the Valley as a freshman and sophomore, and never had a classmate to relate her experiences to.
Through it all, Lankster has been a leader. Although she hasn’t yet accomplished her goals this season, the rise to the top may not mean more to any Shocker than Lankster.
“I can’t lie, it feels amazing,” said Lankster, who’s averaging 12.1 points this season. “Everyone’s been so supportive of us. The community has been really big. We have more fans in the crowd now, and that’s all we really want.”
Wichita State is soaking in the success. But Adams won’t let her team take anything for granted.
“As soon as we get comfortable with where we’re at, that’s when somebody will come up and knock us off,” Gordon said. “We have to stay consistent and never take a day off.”
