One Game at a Time

Back to the grind — a longer, tougher and more meaningful one. Exactly the type Colorado State women's basketball coach Ryun Williams loves the most.

As a new year approaches for us all, a new season looms for the Rams, who went 9-2 during their non-conference slate. It's the program's best start to a season since going 11-1 in the 2015-16 season — the only time the Rams won the Mountain West regular season and tournament championship in the same year.

With a roster as old and experienced as ever, 9-2 is a great start. Williams knows it could have been better.

"Obviously, (non-conference) was a really good record, but we had an opportunity to win every single game," Williams said. "These kids were really focused about winning and performing their job, and that's how you're supposed to go through a conference season. They really focused on one game at a time in the non-conference schedule and that's why we got some big road wins."

According to Williams and point guard McKenna Hofschild, one of the biggest factors in the Rams' hot start has been their roster's depth and versatility. They're able to spread the floor in a way they haven't in years past, built around an all-time point guard at the height of her powers in Hofschild.

The depth was tested toward the end of the non-conference schedule with forward Cali Clark injured. She's considered day to day now and is eyeing a return early in conference play.

Since Clark's last game at UTEP in November, Kendyll Kinzer and Meghan Boyd have stepped in to fill the role. What Williams saw from the two makes him as confident as ever in where the Rams are headed, especially when Clark comes back to the lineup.

"The kids who ate up (Clark's) minutes did a heck of a job, I mean Kendyll and Meghan, they were extraordinary," Williams said. "And they're so different in that they have different skill sets offensively. We spread the floor a lot better with those two than we do with Cali, but Cali provides nice defense, she rebounds, she can really run the floor and is a solid finisher around the basket. So now to combine everything, I think it'll make us a much better basketball team."

Another plus to what has been a scorching start to CSU's season has been the fact it's played double the number of away games (four) compared to the past two seasons, winning all but one, which the Rams lost to Long Beach State despite having a good look at a game-winner.

For Hofschild, that will be a big help, too, especially when considering hostile environments like San Diego State, Wyoming and New Mexico — all of which the Rams play on the road this season; none of which Hofschild has ever beaten on the road.

"I think these first 11 games were a great test to show where we're at and the things we need to work on through conference play," Hofschild said. "I think getting on the road a little bit more than we have in the past will help us when we get deeper into conference play because some of those places — Laramie, the Pit — are not easy to play. So just getting some of that experience I think will really help us in the long run.

"It's a long season and it's a lot of games, a lot of travel, stuff that can take a toll on your body and your mental. So, to be as deep as we are and to have extra bodies who are able to go in there and produce at a high level is really helpful. I'm really excited about this team. I think we have a chance to get done what we've wanted to get done in the past couple of years and that's a Mountain West championship."

While the Rams are as good, maybe better, than they've been in nearly a decade, most of the conference is arguably as good as it has been in recent years, too. Seven of its 11 teams are currently above .500 in winning percentage. UNLV is 10-1 following their undefeated run in MW play last season.

For that reason, CSU is taking everything one day, one game at a time. In Hofschild's last season as a Ram, she gets to open conference play Saturday with an opportunity to win at San Diego State for the first time. She said she looks forward to playing against good teams like the Aztecs and perhaps beating them on the road for the first time.

Both Hofschild and Williams know, though, they can't look too far forward too soon.

"We treat every game — non-conference or conference — like it's the most important game in the world," Williams said. "We say 'this is the world championship, game seven,' this is it. We have to have that mentality because if you start looking ahead, you're going to get beat in this league so fast. It's a one-game-at-a-time mentality, and if it's anything other than that, your approach is way wrong.

"Looking at the league and how everyone has performed in non-conference, the league looks as good as it's looked in a long, long time. The depth of the league is really good. It's going to be an entertaining couple of months, so we better be ready to put that chin strap on because I think it's going to be a battle."

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Meghan Boyd

Cali Clark

McKenna Hofschild

Kendyll Kinzer