MADISON, Wis. - In coach Marisa Moseley's third season at the helm of the program, the Wisconsin Women's Basketball team finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 13-15 overall record and 6-12 conference record. 13 regular-season wins marks the most the team has collected since the 2018-19 season when the Badgers finished 13-17. Wisconsin's 6-12 Big Ten record is identical to its conference record in 2022-23 and the team sits in 10th place for the second-consecutive season.
This season was defined by a young roster trying to find its way among a relentless Big Ten schedule. Entering the season tied with Minnesota for the most underclassmen in the conference Wisconsin had to work to build a cohesive team, despite more than one-quarter of the players being new additions. Brooke Schramek and Serah Williams were the only returners in the starting lineup and were joined by Sania Copeland, Natalie Leuzinger, and Ronnie Porter, all of whom took on significantly more responsibilities this season.
Despite its youthfulness, Wisconsin got off to one of its best starts as of late, winning its first four contests and dominating its non-conference schedule, going 7-3. Some notable moments came from a last-minute Schramek shot to defeat South Dakota State, 66-64, on Nov. 14 and when freshman D'Yanis Jimenez scored a career-high 20 points against St. Thomas on Dec. 13.
Wisconsin got a preview of the Big Ten season Dec. 10 when it faced Iowa at home on a historic night at the Kohl Center. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd, the Badgers set an attendance record of 14,252 which ranked seventh all-time in the Kohl Center. Conference play officially went into full gear Dec. 30 in West Lafayette against Purdue and after dropping its first two contests, the Badgers came out with a strong 67-61 win over Illinois on the road.
January concluded with some of the Badgers' best basketball of the season, as they defeated fifth-place Minnesota, 59-56, followed by a 73-62 win against Rutgers. Against the Golden Gophers, Serah Williams surpassed Theresa Huff on the Wisconsin all-time blocks list, asserting herself at number 10 with a total of 107 blocks. The sophomore also delivered her fifth-straight double-double (24 points, 15 rebounds) while freshman Tessa Grady dropped five threes, securing a career-high in three-pointers made while also tying her career-high in points with 15. Against the Scarlet Knights, the Badgers made history, giving up three points in the first quarter, tied for the second-fewest points the team has given up in a single quarter. At the conclusion of this week, the Badgers swept the Big Ten Weekly Honors for the first time in program history, with Williams being named conference player of the week and Grady as freshman of the week.
Entering early February, Wisconsin had two tough road losses to No. 12 Ohio State and then Northwestern, but responded with a come-from-behind victory against Penn State on Feb. 11. The Badgers trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, but overcame the deficit behind Williams's 31 point, 15 rebound double-double which secured her the title of most consecutive double-doubles in program history with nine.
The team's final wins of the season came against Rutgers and Minnesota on the road and were enough to secure a bye in the Big Ten Tournament, beginning Mar. 6 in Minneapolis. The slate has been cleared, a new season has arrived, and the Badgers will give it everything they've got when they take on Penn State on Thursday, Mar. 7 in the Target Center at 5:30 p.m.
