SAN ANTONIO – A strong start is crucial for any team in any season, but for the UTSA women’s basketball program, which has faced challenges with offensive consistency in recent years, achieving a 14-2 record and remaining undefeated in American Athletic Conference games holds even greater significance.
UTSA sits on top of the conference standings with a 5-0 record. With a win against Memphis on Wednesday night, the team would set a new school record for the best start in conference play.
So, what’s led to this historic start for the Roadrunners?
“I think one of the main things is our chemistry,” said senior forward Jordyn Jenkins.
“It’s chemistry,” said head coach Karen Aston.
“We trust each other,” said senior point guard Nina De Leon Negron.
“The addition of Nina was really a key piece for us because of two reasons: we needed some depth at the point guard position and it has allowed Sidney Love to move over into the scoring guard position,” said Coach Aston.
“Ever since the summer, we’ve been hanging out a lot and building off-court bonds, which I think have really helped us on the court,” said Jenkins.
Building camaraderie with new teammates is always important, but when the Roadrunners spent Thanksgiving playing in Puerto Rico—home to their new point guard—and shared time with her family, that could potentially make the bond of this team unbreakable.
“That experience was amazing. Like I will get emotional sometimes when I think about it,” said De Leon Negron. “Because, like, who would have thought that in my fifth year, I would be like with this team? It’s so good taking them to my hometown and showing them around. I was like, this is amazing. I would say it’s a blessing.”
“We got to experience, you know, her culture,” said junior guard Sidney Love. “We got to meet her parents. They took us around the city. So it was just it really brought us together, we’re already close in general, but that trip really just created a stronger bond.”
“That was really fun, and I actually remember telling her not too long ago that Puerto Rico was literally the best time that, you know, we’ve ever had,” said Jenkins. “We just saw a little part of her that was coincidentally like, meant to happen because, you know, we didn’t know she was coming here. So yeah, it was cool.”
The Roadrunners tip-off against Memphis at 7 p.m. CST on Wednesday at Elma Roane Fieldhouse.