The UTEP women's 2016-17 season was always going to be about rebuilding.
Even as the glory of last year's run to the Conference USA title and WNIT quarterfinals reached its peak behind seven seniors, the math around this year's team was inescapable: The Miners were going to tip this season with one fourth-year senior, one third-year junior and one second-year sophomore.
That could have been somewhat ameliorated with the return of sixth-year senior Jenzel Nash, an all-C-USA player, but an indefinite suspension levied the week before the season began turned out to be because of legal problems that have yet to resolve.