Ahead of Monday’s AAC Tournament, we go one-on-one with Temple guard Aleah Nelson

Aleah Nelson is confident about the team’s chances to win games in the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

The 5-foot, 6-inch senior guard who averaged a team-high 15.2 points per game, spoke about Temple’s (11-17, 6-10 American) upcoming game against Wichita State (16-13, 6-10) in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Monday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas (2 p.m., ESPN+).

Last week, Nelson sat down with The Inquirer to discuss the ups and downs of the 2022-23 season under first-year head coach Diane Richardson.

How important was it to finish the regular season with a win against SMU?

Aleah Nelson: It means a lot for the program, especially for us, we had a rough patch… with a six-game losing streak. I think just with that win, especially ending in [the] Liacouras [Center] with Brittany [Garner’s] senior day, I think it was really just a big confidence boost.

Was there a feeling of doubt from the locker room during that six-game losing streak?

Nelson: After every loss, it was tough, but it was just like we’re focusing on the next game…I don’t think we ever doubted each other or anything like that. Even just beating SMU, they are a really good team. So the fact that we beat them, I think it shows a lot about our team and about us and what we can bring on the court.

What struggles did this group experience?

Nelson: I think it’s just with our scoring. Sometimes we were not getting a lot of defensive stops and that led to us taking poor shots on offense, rushing through [things]. When we stick together like we did against SMU, we played together. We played good defense that led to our offense. I guess that’s kind of what it was. It was tough. It was a tough stretch.

How did head coach Diane Richardson keep the locker room positive during times of adversity?

Nelson: She’s just a great mentor and a great coach. It has been tough, but she kind of held us together. We wouldn’t be where we’re today without her because we did get discouraged after [the] [first] two losses. But with her staying positive, reinforcing [with] us that we still have a [conference] tournament, like we still have basketball to play. Just because we lost [six] games in a row does not mean the season is over. Just kind of staying present and staying in the moment. She’s really helped us with that.

» READ MORE: Temple coach Diane Richardson’s basketball journey is a personal one paved by supreme ‘patience’

What do you have to do as a team to be successful?

Nelson: Play defense; we have to really play defense. We have to rebound. We have to have each other’s back. Getting steals, things like that. We have to play defense because I think Coach Myles [Jackson] said it best in the locker room after we lost on the road to Wichita State, ‘Offense wins games. Defense wins championships.’ That’s kind of what we’re rolling with, [a] big emphasis on defense.

What are the team’s expectations for Monday’s game against Wichita State in the American Athletic Conference Tournament?

Nelson: To win. The expectation is to win. They’re a great team, we’re a good team. Everybody is good, but our expectation has not changed. We plan to win… the plan is to win. We are both 1-1 [against each other]. It’s going to be a great game. Our expectation is actually not even to win against Wichita [State], but it’s to win the whole thing. The six-game losing streak and our record, doesn’t display how we are as a team. In a tournament, anything can happen. It is March.