Wisconsin Badgers
Penn State
Starting Five: Wisconsin hosts Penn State for first home game of 2026
January 02, 2026 | Women's Basketball
Wisconsin aims to start Big Ten play 3-1 for the first time since 2010-11
MADISON, Wis.- Wisconsin women's basketball welcomes Penn State to the Kohl Center on Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. CT. The game will air on Big Ten Network with Mike Hall and Sydney Parrish on the call.Â
Here are five things to know before the Badgers host the Nittany Lions:
Junior guard Kyrah Daniels has also been a force for the Badgers, averaging 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists through 14 games. In Sunday's win at Rutgers, she led the team with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including four made three-pointers.
2. NITTANY LION SCOUTING REPORT: Penn State enters the contest with a 7–7 record and is still seeking its first Big Ten win, sitting at 0–3 under seventh-year head coach Carolyn Kieger.The Nittany Lions average 76.4 points per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. On the boards, they grab 39.1 rebounds per game and rank among the Big Ten's top six in offensive rebounds, averaging 10.2 per game.
Wisconsin and Penn State have faced each other 55 times, with the Nittany Lions holding a 36-19 advantage in the all-time series. In Madison, however, the Badgers lead 14-11.3. DEPTH DELIVERS: Wisconsin's bench is having a historic season, averaging 26.6 points per game, more than double the output from previous seasons.
The bench ranks 49th nationally and 8th in the Big Ten, a significant rise from 13.7 PPG (290th nationally, 15th Big Ten) in 2024-25, 12.7 PPG (299th, 13th Big Ten) in 2023-24, and 9.7 PPG (332nd, 14th Big Ten) in 2022-23.
In the game against UIC, Wisconsin's reserves outscored the Flames' bench 51–7, setting a new program record. Major credit goes to senior Lily Krahn, who posted a career-high 25 points against UIC, including seven three-pointers.
4. LAST TIME OUT:Â The Badgers are coming off a 70-63 comeback win at Rutgers, erasing a 21-point first-quarter deficit to secure the victory. The seven-point win marked the second-largest comeback in program history and the largest road comeback in program history.
Wisconsin shot 45.3% (24-53) from the field, 48.0% (12-25) from beyond the arc, and 83.3% (10-12) from the free-throw line. Rutgers shot 39.0% (23-59) from the floor, 41.7% (10-24) from three, and 87.5% (7-8) at the line.
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5. LOOKING AHEAD: Wisconsin hosts Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will stream on B1G+.
