Women's Basketball

UW-Oshkosh Picked To Win Women’s Basketball Championship

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the defending champion, has been picked to secure the 2020 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s basketball title, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
The Titans claimed their conference-best 13th regular-season crown in program history last season and won the WIAC Tournament for the fifth time. UW-Oshkosh posted at least 20 wins for the seventh straight season and advanced to the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second time in three years.
 
This year’s roster features 12 returning letterwinners, including senior guard Olivia Campbell, who contributed a team-high 84 assists and 50 steals a season ago, while finishing second with 119 rebounds and adding 6.0 points per game. Junior guard Leah Porath made 18 starts and was third on the team with 7.2 points per contest.
 
UW-Oshkosh is followed in the conference predictions by:  UW-La Crosse; UW-Whitewater; UW-Eau Claire; UW-Stout; UW-Platteville; UW-Stevens Point; and UW-River Falls.
 
UW-La Crosse returns all five starters from last year’s squad that had the most wins (22) since the 1987-88 team also produced 22 victories. The Eagles’ 10 WIAC wins were the most since the 2010-11 squad had 12. Senior guard Dani Craig produced a team-high 12.4 points per game and 69 assists, while ranking second with 131 rebounds, and sophomore guard Emma Gamoke had a team-best 49 steals and 53 three-point field goals made, and finished second with 12.2 points per contest. Senior guard Delaney Schoenenberger also reached double figures in scoring, averaging 10.7 points per game.
 
UW-Whitewater has compiled at least 20 victories in 10 of the last 12 seasons and returns junior guard Emily Schumacher. She recorded a team-high 12.0 points per contest, 126 field goals made and 58 three-point field goals made during the 2018-19 campaign. Senior guard Becky Raeder distributed a team-best 63 assists and finished third with 9.0 points per game.
 
UW-Eau Claire has four starters back, including senior guard Hallee Hoeppner, who secured WIAC Player of the Year recognition after topping the conference with 18.3 points per game, while finishing third with 7.8 rebounds per contest, sixth with a .347 three-point field goal percentage (43-of-124) and seventh with a .481 field goal percentage (173-of-360). Senior forward Anna Graaskamp is back after missing the 2018-19 season. In 2017-18, she finished second in the conference with a .532 field-goal percentage (143-of-269) and third 15.6 points per contest.
 
UW-Stout reached the semifinals of the WIAC Tournament for the first time since 2010 last season and posted the most wins (18) since the 2006-07 squad had 23 victories. Senior forward Amber Fabeck had a team-high .484 field goal percentage (149-of-308) and 29 blocked shots, while finishing second with 136 rebounds and third with 13.4 points per game. Junior guard Liz Oswald started all 27 games and contributed 8.7 points per contest.

Kelly McNiff begins her first season in charge at UW-Platteville after serving as an assistant coach at UW-Oshkosh the last six years. The Pioneers bring back four starters from a season ago, including senior guard Morgan Hortsman, who led the team with 14.2 points per contest and finished second with 44 steals. Junior guard/forward Maiah Domask had a team-best 9.3 rebounds per game and was second with 13.6 points per contest.

UW-Stevens Point’s 2019-20 roster features sophomore guard Amber Baehman, who led last year’s unit with 13.2 points per contest, 7.5 rebounds per game and 29 steals. Junior forward Bailee Collins finished third on the team with 10.1 points per game and placed second in the WIAC with a .511 field goal percentage, converting 89-of-174 shots.
 
UW-River Falls welcomes Blake DuDonis as its new head coach. He was most recently a national evaluator for Blue Star Basketball and an advanced regional scout for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. Sophomore guard Jenna Zeman led the 2018-19 squad with 10.7 points per game, 62 assists and 50 steals, while senior forward Crystal Pearson finished second with 115 rebounds and 51 assists.

2019-20 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors 
 
2018-19 Record
1. UW-Oshkosh 26-4 overall, 12-2 WIAC
2. UW-La Crosse 22-5, 10-4
3. UW-Whitewater 18-10, 10-4
4. UW-Eau Claire 13-12, 4-10
5. UW-Stout 18-9, 7-7
6. UW-Platteville 11-15, 5-9
7. UW-Stevens Point 8-18, 4-10
8. UW-River Falls 10-15, 4-10


Team Capsules

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Tonja Englund; 20th season at UWEC; 328-192
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Kelsey Bakken, Sr., G (2018-Honorable, 2018-Defensive, 2019-Honorable); Anna Graaskamp, Sr., F (2017-First, 2018-First); Hallee Hoeppner, Sr., G (2019-First/Player of the Year)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Caryn Donahue, Sr., G; Katie Essen, Jr., C; Katelyn Morgan, Jr., G
 

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  Karen Middleton; 10th season (4th at UWL); 117-147 (overall) / 54-26 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Dani Craig, Sr., G (2018-Honorable, 2019-First); Emma Gamoke, So., G (2019-First); Delaney Schoenenberger, Sr., G (2018-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:  Carly Coulthart, So., F; Lexie Higgins, So., F; Ava Kramer, Jr., G; Kyah Steiner, So., F


UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Brad Fischer; 8th season at UWO; 165-37
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Olivia Campbell, Sr., G (2018-Defensive, 2019-Honorable, 2019-Defensive)

Notable Returning Players:  Nikki Arneson, Jr., F; Leah Porath, Jr., G; Karsyn Rueth, Jr., C
 

UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Kelly McNiff; 1st season at UWP; 0-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  13/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Maiah Domask, Jr., G/F (2019-First); Morgan Horstman, Sr., G (2017-Honorable, 2019-First)

Notable Returning Players:  Rachel Emendorfer, Sr., G; Caitlyn Tipton, Jr., G
 

UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Blake DuDonis; 1st season at UWRF; 0-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  13/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Crystal Pearson, Sr., F (2018-Honorable); Jenna Zeman, So., G (2019-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:  Tessa Hubbard, Sr., G; Brianna Koop, Jr., G; Lori Wardynski, Sr., G
 
 
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Shirley Egner; 31st season at UWSP; 548-259
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Amber Baehman, So., G (2019-Honorable); Bailee Collins, Jr., F (2019-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:   Carly Cerrato, Sr., G; Kellan Schmidt, Jr., F


UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Hannah Iverson; 2nd season at UWS; 18-9
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Amber Fabeck, Sr., F (2019-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:  Emily Jacques, Sr., F; Becky Fesenmaier, Sr., G; Liz Oswald, Jr., G; Shannan Watkins, Sr., G


UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Keri Carollo; 18th season at UWW; 332-148
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Emily Schumacher, Jr., G (2019-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Megan Corcoran, Sr., G; Veronica Kieres, So., G; Becky Raeder, Sr., G; Johanna Taylor, Jr., C
 
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