The RoundHouse | 3/15/2023 10:55:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
WNIT veteran Curtessia Dean offers advice for her teammates. Post-season play is different, especially on the road.
 
"It's really challenging," she said. "Tune out the fans and stay focused. Worry about what we've got going on."
 
Wichita State (18-14) plays at Kansas State (17-16) at 6 p.m. Thursday (ESPN+) in the first round of the WNIT. It is WSU's first post-season appearance since the 2015 NCAA Tournament and the Shockers are upbeat about two wins in the American Athletic Conference Tournament that improved their resume.
 
"I think all of the pieces fit each other," guard D.J. McCarty said Tuesday. "I think off the court was a big reason as to why production on-the-court part was the way it was. We all like to hang out with each other as much as we can. We bonded as sisters. On the court, that translated."
 
Wichita State opened the AAC Tournament with a 71-61 win over Temple in Fort Worth. A 65-53 upset of top-seeded USF followed – the first loss by the conference's No. 1 seed in the tournament's short history. Houston ended the run with a 72-64 semifinal win, but the Shockers improved their NET ranking to No. 103 and put themselves in position for a WNIT berth.
 
"Our players really played really hard at the conference tournament," coach Keitha Adams said. "That's what helped us get into the NIT. It's a great opportunity."
 
Dean, a senior guard from Monroe, La., is grabbing her final opportunities in college basketball. She scored 11 or more points in five of the past six games, including 14 in the win over USF. In those six games, she is shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 7 of 13 from three-point range. Her burst started with a season-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Temple at Koch Arena.
 
A year ago, she played for Seton Hall and the Pirates advanced to the championship game of the WNIT with five wins, two on the road, before losing at South Dakota State.
 
After transferring to Wichita State, she is motivated to finish her college career strong and set herself up for the professional game overseas.
 
"It's my last year, and the time has really come," she said. "When my team needs a bucket . . . I'm one of the options."
 

An upset for the history books.

🎥 USF reWind pic.twitter.com/NrMxFFUmiD

— Wichita State Women's Basketball (@GoShockersWBB) March 8, 2023

Dean scored 11 of her 14 points against USF in the second half. She scored nine points in a row after USF cut the lead to two points in the third quarter, pushing WSU's lead to 44-35.
 
"I was ready," she said. "I knew we needed that win. Everybody had doubts. That really boosted our confidence."
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.