No 2022 postseason for Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball did not make the field for the WNIT or the WBI, signaling the end of the Owls’ 2022 season.

The Rice women’s basketball regular season came to an end earlier this week when the Owls dropped a hard-fought conference tournament battle to Charlotte, who would go on to cut down the nets in Frisco. At the time, it felt like that wouldn’t be the last we’ll see of the Owls on the court this spring, though. Head coach Lindsay Edmonds predicted as much in the aftermath of that loss.

“I told them I don’t want the season to be over with yet and that their mindset should still be locked in on basketball and continuing to play,” Edmonds said. “They deserve to continue to play. The way we’ve been playing, they deserve to continue to play.”

That next opportunity would not come.

While postseason play once seemed like wishful thinking, it became more and more reasonable for this team to expect one more chance. Rice had won seven of their last nine games with their only two losses since Valentine’s Day coming in overtime to Louisiana Tech and to eventual Conference USA Tournament Champion, Charlotte in the conference tournament.

Rice women’s basketball won the WNIT last season. In fact, WNIT officials had visited the Owls recently. If things didn’t work out on that front, the WBI was also thought to be an option. There was an expectation that tournament would have a place for the Owls if the WNIT did not. By late Sunday night, both fields had been announced. No Rice.

The omission is a disappointment, but the Owls hope to turn it into motivation. Or as Edmonds, reacted late Sunday night, they’ll use it as fuel to the fire.