How Villanova’s Christina Dalce prepared — mentally and physically — for an expanded role this season

Christina Dalce stood in Villanova’s locker room and locked eyes with herself in the mirror.

“Relax. You are strong-minded. You are good. You got this.”

The affirmations rolled off her tongue until she turned to her cell phone lock screen, where she read aloud her final affirmation:

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is hustle.”

This is how Villanova’s star forward prepares for big games, for her pregame routine, and, more importantly, how she keeps herself calm during those big moments.

Dalce, a 6-foot-2 forward, is second on the team with 8.4 points per game and averages a team-high 9.7 rebounds this sea.

“She’s obviously stepped up our game,” head coach Denise Dillon said. “She always wants more, and [her] future’s bright … but this season in particular, I think she’s taking those strides.”

And those strides are particularly noteworthy on the defensive end.

Of Dalce’s 280 total rebounds, 137 were defensive. She also is in the top 20 nationally in blocks with 68.

“By being more disciplined on the defensive [end], and then obviously rebounding the ball, she’s top in the nation,” Dillon said. “She just has that presence each and every night going after the ball.”

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She’s made her presence known under the basket offensively, too, with nine double-doubles this season and 143 offensive boards.

Her most impressive performance? A 68-62 win over Penn in December, when Dalce dropped a career high-tying 18 points and had 17 boards.

“One of the biggest keys to each group is reliability,” Dillon said. “[It’s] about knowing what you have day in and day out, and of course, it’s a game on both ends … and with Chris, we count on those offensive rebounds to get us more possessions and securing the rebound on defense.”

With All-American Maddy Siegrist leaving Villanova for the WNBA, the spotlight fell on Dalce and new leading scorer Lucy Olsen.

But Dalce was prepared for it.

“There was a little bit more pressure, but I didn’t let that get to me,” Dalce said. “I think it’s just a matter of perfecting what I’m good at and taking some initiative as an upperclassman.”

That initiative is twofold for Dalce.

Dalce started to physically prepare for her on-court duties in the summer, when she, and guards Olsen and Zanai Jones represented the United States in the FIBA 3x3 Under-21 Nations League.

“It was a pretty smooth [transition] into the season,” Dalce said. “Once we got back from Mongolia, we were already in preseason, so there was consistency there.

“USA rules are a little bit different — they’re more aggressive, and they don’t call the nitpicky fouls. Coming back was a bit of an adjustment. … There were very aggressive teams and teams that were straight shooters, but it was about balancing those two types of styles.”

» READ MORE: Maddy Siegrist has enjoyed ‘a little bit of everything’ in her offseason job at Villanova

To prepare herself for all the challenges of the season, Dalce focused on her mental approach, too.

“If I felt myself slipping, I would pick it up,” Dalce said. “I think it’s a mentality thing. Obviously sometimes you can say it’s physical, but if you let the pressure get to you, then you won’t perform at your best — I never want to let that happen.”

And that’s where Dalce’s affirmations come into play.

“Positive thoughts,” Dalce said, “I do all the individual stuff like praying, meditating, positive thoughts, even affirmations ... and the [affirmations] are versatile, so I apply them to my personal life and to basketball.”

These affirmations allow Dalce to stay focused for her tasks on the court, but have also allowed the junior to excel in her other roles on Villanova’s campus.

“I’m really proud of Chris’ willingness to get involved with different groups on campus,” Dillon said. “I think that’s helping her really grow … and for our student-athletes, it’s about being a part of something greater than you and [being] a part of this community. She’s showing how you can have an impact in every area on campus.”

Villanova defeated DePaul, 68-66, on a buzzer-beater from Olsen in its regular-season finale. The Wildcats head into the Big East tournament with an 11-7 in the conference record, 18-11 overall.

“We’re just taking it in small increments,” Dillon said. “Doing what we can so we can advance in the Big East tournament.”

After receiving a bye, No. 4 seed Villanova will face the No. 5 seed Marquette in the quarterfinals on Saturday (2:30 p.m. FS2) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

“When March comes around, upsets come around,” Dalce said. “It’s exciting, and I’m feeling ready to conquer whatever [comes] our way.”