WSU women begin defense of MVC Tournament title

The scene that has stuck with Bradley coach Michael Brooks happened before his team had even played the Wichita State women’s basketball team.

It was a full hour before the game and Brooks peaked his head outside on the court and he saw Alex Harden, WSU’s star and do-everything player, helping sophomore Jaleesa Chapel, a rotation player.

“She was setting the example for the future,” Brooks said. “She was showing how things will get done at Wichita State and that’s what I love about what (coach) Jody (Adams) has done with the program. They believe in her and when you create that, it’s a special thing.”

Adams has built a contender at Wichita State and it will aim for its third straight Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship this weekend in St. Charles, Mo. The Shockers open against Loyola in the quarterfinals at noon Friday. Loyola beat Bradley 67-55 in the first round Thursday night.

Wichita State closed out the most successful regular-season in school history, setting a record for most wins (26) and conference wins (17). Finishing the season with road victories over Indiana State and Evansville were all Adams needed to see to know her team is ready for another postseason charge.

“It’s a mindset that’s groomed over a long period of time,” Adams said. “You just make up your mind that you’re going to do it. We don’t think about losing. That’s just not an option for this group and for this coaching staff.”

That is what has made the Shockers so difficult to knock off the last two postseasons. This season they look to be even more solid with Harden, Kelsey Jacobs, and Jamillah Bonner all playing at a new level in their senior seasons.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s tournament time, TV dinner time, it’s Saturday afternoon around the corner, they’re just tough,” Brooks said. “You know exactly what you’re going to get when you step on the court with Wichita State.”

The experience is what stands out about this team. Not only have Harden, Jacobs, and Bonner all been a part of championship teams, so have all but two players that are suiting up in St. Charles.

Wichita State may also be playing for its NCAA Tournament life. Despite the 26 wins and the RPI rating of 38, the Shockers are slotted as a No. 13 seed in the latest projections from ESPN analyst Charlie Creme.

It’s not the first time Wichita State has done this, though.

“It’s not like I’m teaching first-year players how to win back-to-back games,” Adams said. “They’ve been through this three times now and that’s extremely valuable. They know what to expect and they know how to be ready for games like this.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2015 at 8:01 PM with the headline "WSU women begin defense of MVC Tournament title."