The RoundHouse | 10/26/2022 4:08:00 PM

 
 Listen to associate head coach Ewa Laskowska preview the Shockers.

When Ambah Kowcun walked into her house for the first time, she noticed everything a visitor would want.
 
Clean. Fresh. Welcoming. Roommate Ornella Niankan did her best to make a great first impression.
 
"Everyone told me she was panicking because she wanted the house to be so clean for me," Kowcun said. "It was. Air fresheners everywhere. Smelled so good."
 
Niankan, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, is more than just a good roommate on the Wichita State's women's basketball team. Coach Keitha Adams sees her as one of the key newcomers to the roster, capable of scoring, rebounding and defending the top scorers on the opposing team.
 
Wichita State fans can get their first look at the Shockers on Thursday at Shocker Madness (6:30 p.m.) at Koch Arena.
 
Niankan is organized and detail-oriented in her approach to basketball and academics. She is majoring in health sciences and considering a career in law or healthcare. She is coachable, on time and reliable.

 
Kowcun said she is the type of roommate who keeps rubber gloves next to the sink for doing dishes at all times. One of the reasons Niankan is meticulous about her living space is that she is in Wichita for the long haul. She won't, for example, go home to Canada over the semester break.

"This is my home away from home," Niankan said. "When I go home, I want it to be perfect. I need it to be perfect. It's better when you're organized."
 
Niankan, from Montreal, earned all-conference honors at Odessa (Texas) College after averaging 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds. Odessa assistant Marija Pacar played at Wichita State in 2015-16 and gave Niankan good reviews about the school and the city.
 
"She was really there for me," Niankan said. "I chose Wichita because of the team and the girls – the energy they have together. I can see a family, a sisterhood."
 
Niankan will play more on the perimeter for the Shockers as a forward after she had more duties in the lane in junior college and high school. She arrived in Wichita in August and recorded 24,000 shots on the shooting machine, most of any Shocker in that time.
 
"High energy," coach Keitha Adams said. "Very driven. We're going to utilize her in a lot of different ways. She's so athletic."
 
Kowcun and Niankan are both transfers from junior colleges. After practices, they compare experiences and talk about the adjustments to NCAA Division I.
 
"She's one of our fastest players," Kowcun said. "She's very quick. With the speed and the bigger bodies, she's doing a great job adjusting to that."
 
The adjustments to a higher level of basketball aren't always easy. Getting organized and working hard helps the transition.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.