Women's Basketball

UW-Oshkosh Picked To Claim Women’s Basketball Championship

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the defending conference champion, is slated to win the 2022 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.
 
UW-Oshkosh secured last year’s championship after winning the WIAC tournament (teams were divided into two divisions and the tournament decided the regular-season and tournament titles). The Titans own 14 regular-season championships and seven tournament crowns, including three straight. UW-Oshkosh enters the 2021-22 campaign ranked No. 17 in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll and welcome back all five starters. Leah Porath leads the returnees after claiming the WIAC Player of the Year honor the past two seasons. Kennedy Osterman was the conference’s Newcomer of the Year a year ago.
 
UW-Whitewater, ranked No. 18 nationally, has nine regular-season first-place finishes to its credit. UW-Eau Claire has 10 regular-season crowns.
 
UW-Oshkosh is followed in the conference predictions by: UW-Whitewater; UW-Eau Claire; UW-La Crosse; UW-Stevens Point; UW-Stout; UW-Platteville; and UW-River Falls.
 
A few WIAC teams begin their non-conference schedules the weekend of Nov. 5, while the conference slate will include a pair of games in early December – Dec. 1 and Dec. 4, and resume after the holidays on Jan. 5. The top-six teams in the league standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s). The event will be held Feb. 21, 23, and 25, with all games hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic NCAA bid.
 
2021-22 Preseason Predictions – Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
 
2020-21 Record
1. UW-Oshkosh (9-2 overall, 5-1 WIAC
2. UW-Whitewater (8-3, 4-2)
3. UW-Eau Claire (8-2, 6-0)
4. UW-La Crosse (5-5, 3-3)
5. UW-Stevens Point (3-6, 2-4)
6. UW-Stout (2-7, 2-4) 
7. UW-Platteville (2-7, 1-5)
8. UW-River Falls (2-7, 1-5)

                                                                2020-21 Record
1. UW-Oshkosh                                (9-2, 5-1 WIAC)
2. UW-Whitewater                         (8-3, 4-2)
3. UW-Eau Claire                              (8-2, 6-0)
4. UW-La Crosse                               (5-5, 3-3)
5. UW-Stevens Point                      (3-6, 2-4)
6. UW-Stout                                       (2-7, 2-4)
7. UW-Platteville                              (2-7, 1-5)
8. UW-River Falls                              (2-7, 1-5)
 
 
Team Capsules

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Tonja Englund; 22nd season at UWEC; 354-204
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Ellie Clayton, Sr., F (2021-Honorable); Jessie Ruden, Jr., G (2021-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Tyra Boettcher, Jr., G; Courtney Crouch, Jr., G; Jade Ganski, So., F/C
 

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  Karen Middleton; 12th season (6th at UWL); 141-160 (overall) / 78-39 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC: Emma Gamoke, Sr., G (2019-First, 2020-Honorable, 2021-First)

Notable Returning Players:  Carly Coulthart, Jr., F; Lexie Higgins, Sr., F; Kyah Steiner, Jr., F; Kat Fitzgerald, Jr., C


UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Brad Fischer; 10th season at UWO; 194-49
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Nikki Arneson, Sr., F (2020-Honorable, 2021-Honorable); Abby Kaiser, Sr., G (2021-Honorable, 2021-Defensive); Kennedy Osterman, So., G (2021/Newcomer of the Year); Leah Porath, Sr., G (2020-First/Player of the Year, 2021-First/Player of the Year); Julia Silloway, Sr., G (2021-First, 2021-Defensive)

Notable Returning Players:  Ava Douglas, Jr., G; Brooke Freitag, Sr., G; Jenna Jorgensen, Jr., G; Katie Ludwig, Sr., G
 

UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Kelly McNiff; 3rd season at UWP; 14-20
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Maiah Domask, Sr., F (2019-First, 2020-First, 2021-First)

Notable Returning Players:  Taylor Gilbert, Sr., F; Lily Guerra, So., G; Allison Heckert, Sr., G; Sarah Mueller, So., F
 

UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Blake DuDonis; 3rd season at UWRF; 7-27
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Macy Nilsen, Jr. G/F (2021-Honorable); Jenna Zeman, Sr., G (2019-Honorable, 2021-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:  Taylor Crissinger, Jr., F; Cassie Heinrichs, Jr., G: Colie Justice, So., G
 
 
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Shirley Egner; 33rd season at UWSP; 561-281
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Taylor Greenheck, Sr., G (2020-First, 2021-Honorable, 2021-Defensive)

Notable Returning Players:  Josie Nies, So., G; Jamie Pfeifer, Jr., P; Jessica Slowik, Sr., G


UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Hannah Iverson; 4th season at UWS; 35-27
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Anna Mutch, So., G (2021-Honorable-Newcomer of the Year)

Notable Returning Players:  Erin O’Brien, Jr., C; Lizzy Olsem, Sr., F; Sam Schaeffer, So., G; Haylee Yaeger, Jr., F


UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Keri Carollo; 20th season at UWW; 363-155
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  16/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Aleah Grundahl, So., F (2020-Honorable/Newcomer of the Year, 2021-First); Johanna Taylor, Sr., C (2020-First, 2020-Defensive, 2021-First, 2021-Defensive); Yssa Sto. Domingo, Sr. G (2020-Defensive)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Abby Belschner, Jr., F; Veronica Kieres, Sr., G; Rebekah Schumacher, Sr., G; Maggie Trautsch, Fr., G
 
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