Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda considers herself to be similar to a Swiss Army Knife. Despite being listed as a junior guard on the roster, Mwenentanda describes herself as a utility player. She can take the ball up or sit on the high post. She can be a threat on the wing or sit below the basket.
“Wherever I’m needed, I can be used,” Mwenentanda said.
Mwenentanda is exactly what Texas women’s basketball needs, now more than ever.
In 2022, Texas went 14–4 in the Big 12 after losing then-sophomore Aaliyah Moore to a season-ending injury in the 11th game of the season. In 2023, Texas won the Big 12, earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament and went to the Elite Eight after losing star junior guard Rori Harmon before conference play started.
Now, Moore is hurt once again with a knee injury, and Mwenentanda has been slotted into the starting five. In the first 22 games of the year, Mwenentanda played over 20 minutes in just two games, averaging just 5.8 minutes in conference play. As a starter in the past three games, the junior is averaging 27 minutes a night.
“When a coach is going to play you in an SEC game, they have to trust you,” head coach Vic Schaefer said. “They have to know there are certain things you’re not going to do, and you’re going to be able to execute other things.”
It was a rough start for Mwenentanda in the starting rotation. Against Missouri on Jan. 30, she had seven turnovers. But in the 70–50 win against Texas A&M in College Station, Mwenentanda had just one. Schaefer believes in his Swiss Army Knife, reminding her that mistakes will happen.
“I’m human,” Mwenentanda said. “I don’t always have to always force things if I don’t see it fit. I can always keep the ball rolling.”
After blowing out the Aggies, the Longhorns have the toughest stretch of their season, and Mwenentanda will be needed now more than ever. The Longhorns have four ranked games in a row in the next two weeks, with two schools being in the top 10. After shooting 5-11 from the field against Texas A&M, Mwenentanda hopes to provide more offensive efficiency in this stretch.
“I really want to find my flow in the game,” Mwenentanda said. “That’s really when I’m able to just really find confidence within the offense.”
A Swiss Army Knife is dependable, trustworthy and has a multitude of uses. Mwenentanda is a perfect comparison to the utility tool. She can pass like a point guard and box out like a center. The 2022 Girls Basketball South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year is a faultless tool to carve winning basketball.
“It’s all about reliability,” Schaefer said. “The SEC is not a time for a tryout.”
