Following graduation of its two seniors, Haleigh Lankster and Alicia Sanchez, the Wichita State University women's basketball program had a chance to reflect on one of the most successful seasons in school history.  The Shockers matched a school-record with 20 wins and notched the program's first WNIT victory.

Wichita State entered the year by being selected to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference, only the second time the team had been picked that high in the league's pre-season poll.  A challenging early non-conference schedule included a home game against LSU and road games at Arizona and Kansas State.  Such contests against high-level opponents helped prepare WSU for a holiday tournament championship at Long Beach State.

That tournament title spurred a program record-tying 10-game winning streak that stretched from Dec. 9 through Jan. 21.  The majority of those games came in conference play as WSU built a 7-0 record in the MVC for the first time. 

The Shockers spent most of the season in first place in the Valley before settling for a third-place finish at 12-6.  Those 12 conference victories matched the second-highest total in school history and gave WSU the No. 3 seed in the State Farm MVC Tournament, held in St. Charles, Mo. 

A rollicking 70-49 win over Indiana State in the conference tournament quarterfinals earned the Shockers a chance to host an opening-round WNIT game against Oral Roberts.  Wichita State responded in impressive fashion, breezing to a 79-57 victory at Koch Arena. 

That victory gave the Shockers a 20-win season for the first time since 1999-2000 and cemented both the top two-year and three-year win totals in school history. 

During the year, WSU players collected several individual awards and milestones.  Both senior Haleigh Lankster and junior Jessica Diamond passed the 1,000-point plateaus.  Lankster was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year and earned second team all-conference honors.  Diamond landed on the all-conference first team and newcomer Alex Harden was named to the all-freshman team. 

Looking ahead to 2012-13, WSU returns three starters and eight letter winners.  Junior Michelle Price is expected to be ready after missing the season due to injury and Darice Fountaine will be eligible after transferring from Savannah State.  Two freshman, Alie Decker of Edmund, Okla. and Michaela Dapprich of Branson, Mo., will also join the Shockers next season.