New Mexico State women No. 7 in WAC Tournament in Jody Adams' first year

LAS CRUCES - The New Mexico State women's basketball team enters the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the last time.

The Aggies were seeded No. 7 and will open the tournament on Monday in Las Vegas, Nevada after winning four more league games than last year. It will be the first, and only, WAC Tournament experience for first-year Aggies coach Jody Adams as the school enters Conference USA next season.

"Every team to me has been very different," Adams said. "The responsibility and accountability they have taken to make this community and make themselves proud."

The Aggies finished the regular season 10-8 in the WAC after winning six league games last year.

"You are who you are at this time of year," Adams said. "Maybe there are a couple of details that we can do better and things like that, but we have as great of a shot at it as anybody. It's March Madness. These guys can do whatever they want. I truly believe that."

The Aggies finished league play slotted in the No. 7 spot in the WAC Resume Seeding System and will play No. 10 seed Texas Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m., on Monday in the first round at Michelob Ultra Arena on ESPN+. The winner advances to play No. 2 Southern Utah at 7 p.m., on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round at the Orleans Arena. The women's championship game is Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

The Aggies beat UTRGV to open WAC play back in December. UTRGV finished WAC play 6-12. The Aggies lost two close games to Southern Utah, falling 61-58 at home on Dec. 31 and 63-56 on the road.

"We just haven't seen (UTRGV) in a while and they haven't seen us," Adams said. "I think they are playing well right now. We just have to be us and get some rest here coming off the road."

Molly Kaiser has been cooking

Adams said there have been four players lost to season ending knee injuries during the course of the season and the Aggies had 11 players available for this week's road trip to end the regular season.

Fortunately for the Aggies, junior guard Molly Kaiser has increased her scoring load.

Kaiser has averaged 21 points per game for the Aggies in the past four games with a career high 27 points against Texas Arlington last month. She leads the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game.

"(Kaiser) is two feet in for our culture," Adams said. "She is the greatest example of a leader that I've seen in a long time. She doesn't care if she scores, she just wants to win.

"We are talking a little more about her defense and trying to get her in some better positions."

Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico State women No. 7 in WAC Tournament in Jody Adams' first year