‘Growth mindset’ has been coach Tina Langley’s mantra since taking the reins at Rice in 2015.

But with a loaded roster heading into the 2018-2019 campaign, the team has started talking more about greatness—an appropriate word for a program that’s been building on its own success since Langley’s arrival.

Oklahoma-transfer Nancy Mulkey highlights that excitement. The 6-9 center sat out last year and is poised to make a serious impact, especially on the defensive side of the floor where she averaged nearly two blocks per game as a freshman at OU.

She’ll star with former high school teammates Erica and Olivia Ogwumike, the younger sisters of WNBA All-Stars Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike. Erica, a first-team All C-USA selection, led the team in scoring (17.9), rebounds (9.3), and steals (1.9) per game.

Mulkey and a touted recruiting class account for the Owls new faces this year. But several old faces will re-appear after injuries forced many to miss all or most of last season including Shani Rainey, Temi Alao, Kendall Ellig, and Olivia Ogwumike.

To compensate for those absences, the Owls regularly played out of position with point guards occasionally playing center. It also affected the way Langley structured practices and distributed minutes to help her healthy players remain that way down the stretch.

Now, she’s hoping those experiences will better prepare her players for the different scenarios they’ll face—it also gives Langley some added versatility in terms of the lineups she’ll employ.

With so many players working back into the mix, it’s hard to predict the starting lineup when they open the season at Texas A&M on Nov. 7. Freshman guard Jasmine Smith is a highly anticipated talent who could earn major minutes despite the Owls depth and experience.  

Rice has a tough non-conference schedule that features teams like UCLA and North Carolina. But if all of their new and returning pieces can mesh by the time conference play starts in January, Rice does have a shot at something great.

The school’s 2017 Women's Basketball Invitational championship was a significant step forward at the time. But this year’s team has a chance to win the conference title for the first time in over a decade. The school could also make a strong run if it qualifies for what would be just its third NCAA Tournament appearance.

Team Profile:

Projected Starting Five:

• G Sydne Wiggins, So., 5’11, Powder Springs, Georgia
• G Erica Ogwumike, Jr., 5’9, Cypress, Texas
• F Shani Rainey, Sr., 5’10, Fairview, Texas
• F Nicole Iademarco, Sr., 6’1, The Woodlands
• C Nancy Mulkey, So., 6’9, Cypress, Texas

Preseason MVP:
Guard Erica Ogwumike: Like Mulkey, the Ogwumike sisters transferred to Rice—from Pepperdine in 2016. Ogwumike’s first-year success at Rice isn’t totally surprising after she earned All-WCC honors as a freshman, but her play absolutely elevated a depleted Owls team last year. Don’t expect her impact to diminish with more help this season.

The Ceiling:
Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky have been gatekeepers on the C-USA road to Tournament qualification. Expect that to change if Rice stays healthy and performs consistently enough to topple either as a serious conference title contender and potential Tournament dark horse. Estimated wins: 25.

The Floor:
Despite a tougher early schedule, it’s hard to see Rice faring worse than last year (23-10) when a hobbled team began running out of steam through February. 

Game of the Year:
At Western Kentucky on Feb. 7: Rice defeated MTSU on the way to their semifinal exit in the conference tournament a year ago. Beating WKU in Feb. could help bolster their confidence ahead of a potential 2019 conference tournament showdown.

Impact-First Year Player:
Center Nancy Mulkey from Oklahoma: Rice fans long anticipation for Mulkey’s debut will be whetted soon enough. When she does take the court, expect to see a stronger, more dynamic iteration of the player who ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks per game at the end of the 2017 season. If she emerges as an offensive threat, opposing teams will be strained to defend an up-tempo attack that necessitates her defensive prowess on the other end.