In head coach Marisa Moseley’s third year, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team finished the regular season 13-15 and 6-12 in the Big Ten.
Throughout the season, the Badgers saw lots of growth, but there was still constant room for improvement. With five new freshmen and the loss of many key players, the Badgers needed to create and maintain team chemistry.
Wisconsin started the season off strong, securing their first 3-0 start since the 2019-20 season after a dominant win over Western Illinois. However, Kansas State handed Wisconsin their first loss of the season shortly after.
The Badgers’ highest-scoring performance this season was an 82-point win against Boston College. In this game, the Badgers recorded a season-high 30 shot attempts and tied their season-high 10 made 3-pointers.
Wisconsin’s lowest-scoring game was 43 points against Northwestern. In the first quarter, the Badgers scored just nine points. Throughout the game, they attempted 26 3-pointers, yet they only made four.
Whether it was miscommunication on passes or shot-clock violations, the Badgers continuously struggled with turnovers, averaging almost 19 per game while opponents averaged 14.7 turnovers per game. In games against Michigan and Iowa, Wisconsin totaled a season-high 28 turnovers.
Wisconsin had trouble with second-half performances throughout the season.
In a matchup against Ohio State, for example, Wisconsin entered halftime only five points behind. Yet by the end of the game, the Buckeyes accrued a 38-point lead and defeated the Badgers 87-49.
Despite their struggles, the Badgers showed what they were capable of when they play up to their full potential.
Against Penn State, the Nittany Lions built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and carried it into halftime. But the Badgers fought back and claimed the lead in the third quarter, showing that Wisconsin women’s basketball is capable of winning when they string together a strong second-half performance.
Led by sophomores Serah Williams and Ronnie Porter, the Badgers finished the season as the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten tournament but suffered a loss to Penn State in the second round.
While the regular season was not the best end for the Badgers, their postseason is not over. For the first time since 2011, the Badgers earned an at-large bid for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Their next face-off will be against the winner of a University of Illinois-Chicago and Southern Indiana game in the second round of the invitational.
