The college basketball season begins today in both mens and womens Division 1 hoops around the nation.
To see a list of former Wisconsin standouts playing at the Division 1 mens basketball level, click here.
On the women's side, the talent from the state is exploding. Last year 95 alumni suited up at the Division 1level. This year, that number is slightly higher as 98 former standouts suit up for 58 different colleges.
Here are a few storylines to follow going into this season. At the bottom of the article is a full list of Division 1 players.
Black Hawk alum Bailey Butler
Wisconsin's flagship campus in the state has struggled recruiting the talent from within the borders for a while now. Keeping that talent also has been an issue as former Beaver Dam standout Maty Wilke transferred from Wisconsin to Utah. The Badger roster has a pair of athletes from the state in Prairie du Chien's Lily Krahn and Black Hawk's Natalie Leuzinger. Krahn, a sophomore and Leuzinger, a senior have seen limited playing time in their tenure at Wisconsin.
The Phoenix have always been a great place for former girls basketball players from the state to go and succeed. That's evidenced once again by ten alumni on the roster, with eight of those athletes having averaged over five points per game last season. Black Hawk's Bailey Butler averaged 8.5 points and 4.1 assists per game for the Phoenix last season and earned All-Defense and Second Team All-Conference honors, the only award winner on the squad.
Cassie Schiltz of Luxemburg-Casco, Caelan Givens of Chippewa Falls, Natalie McNeal of Germantown, Callie Genke of Freedom, Kendall Renard of Green Bay Preble, Jasmine Kondrakiewicz of Pius XI Catholic, Maddy Schreiber of Kimberly and Meghan Schultz of New Berlin West are all returning players from the state.
Natalie Anderson of Mukwonago is the only newcomer to the team as she transfers in to UW-Green Bay from IUPUI for her senior year. She amassed over 740 points and 380 rebounds at her former school.
The Panthers will suit up eight players from the state, taking full advantage of the easy recruiting of some great in-state talent. Angie Cera of Mukwonago, Jada Donaldson of Beaver Dam, Grace Crowley of Homestead, Anna Lutz of Marshall and Kamy Peppler of Hortonville all saw playing time last season for the Panthers. Peppler earned Horizon League All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Incoming freshman Payton Rechlicz of Menomonee Falls, Sophia Rampulla of Union Grove and Jorey Buwalda of Randolph show the health of the recruiting of the state by head coach Kyle Rechlicz and staff.
The Golden Eagle roster has zero alumni suited up for the girls program this season. Appleton East standout Emily La Chapell was named to the Big East All-Freshman team last season for Marquette but transferred to Belmont during the offseason.
Beaver Dam alum Maty Wilke
The transfer portal continues to be a major player in college sports and was once again for former alumni. Twenty athletes transferred into or out of a Division 1 program this offseason. Below is a full list.
Natalie Anderson of Mukwonago will suit up for UW-Green Bay after playing at Horizon League foe IUPUI the past three seasons. She recorded 747 points, 388 rebounds and 146 assists in her tenure at IUPUI.
Hannah Belanger of Grafton dominated Division 2 basketball at Truman State before transferring this past offseason to Iowa State. Belanger averaged over 21 points per game last year and was a D2 All-American.
Tori DePerry of Shawano was a standout at Division 2 Saginaw Valley State. She averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game last season, totaling 1,173 points and 624 rebounds in her career. DePerry will suit up at South Dakota this year for her senior campaign.
Lexi Donarski of Appleton East transferred to North Carolina after three seasons at Iowa State. She accumulated over 1,200 points, 300 rebounds and 200 assists as a Cyclone and racked up numerous awards which will be highlighted a bit later.
Alaina Harper of Arrowhead played at Grand Canyon University last season, but transfers to Purdue this year to play with her sister Caitlyn. Alaina averaged over five points per game as a freshman for GCU.
Emily La Chapell of Appleton East played big time minutes for Marquette as a freshman last season, averaging 5.3 points per game and earned Big East All-Freshman Team honors. This season, La Chapell will suit up at Belmont.
Taylor Lauterbach spent her first three seasons at Kansas State before transferring to Virginia this past season. The Appleton West standout never saw extended action for the Wildcats, though she did start five games early last season before falling out of the rotation.
Sarah Lazar of Edgewood played her last two seasons at Saint Louis where her playing time decreased from her freshman to sophomore season. She transferred to Vermont for her upcoming junior year.
Aaliyah Moore of West Bend West averaged a double-double for Saint Francis (PA) last season before transferring to Loyola Chicago for her senior campaign. She was a second-team all-conference player last year after averaging 10.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Ashala Moseberry of Madison East played her last two seasons at South Plains College which is a JUCO school. She transferred to West Virginia this offseason with two years of eligibility remaining.
Tahlia Walton of Stanley-Boyd scored over 1,300 points while playing at Kentucky Wesleyan, a Division 2 program. Walton now transfers to IUPUI with one year of eligibility.
Maty Wilke of Beaver Dam recovered from her torn ACL in high school and had a great freshman season at Wisconsin, averaging 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. However, Wilke will now suit up for Utah after an offseason transfer.
Lauren With of Arrowhead will play her final season at her third school, Denver this upcoming year. Wirth transferred in from the University of Indianapolis after also spending time at Cal Baptist. She averaged nearly ten points per game last year.
Others that are known to have transferred out of Division 1 include:
Aquinas alum Lexi Donarski
Jaelyn Acker of Germantown had a standout freshman season at Furman last year. She put together 11.4 points. 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Paladins. Acker was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team.
Natalie Anderson of Mukwonago scored 747 points, hauled in 388 rebounds and dished out 146 assists in three seasons at IUPUI. Last season she averaged 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game but will suit up for UW-Green Bay this year.
KK Arnold of Germantown may not be a returning player in college basketball, but she is going to be a huge storyline to follow this season. The 2023 Miss Basketball in Wisconsin will suit up for legendary coach Geno Auriemma at UCONN, one of, if not the most prestigious womens basketball programs in history.
Hannah Belanger of Grafton was mentioned above for her prowess at Division 2 Truman State before winding up at Iowa State this year. While there, she scored nearly 1,900 points and was a three-time All-GLVC performer. She also was named the GLVC Player of the Year once and a Division 2 All-American.
Bailey Butler of Black Hawk was named to the Horizon League All-Defense and Second Team All-Conference team last year after averaging 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. The former Horizon League Freshman and Sixth Player of the Year winner has put up 443 points, 214 rebounds and 198 assists in two years at UW-Green Bay.
Kaye Clark of Milwaukee King enters her senior season at Old Dominion after averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a junior. Clark transferred to the Monarchs in 2021 from Trinity Valley Community College.
Tori DePerry of Shawano was highlighted above as a standout Division 2 player that transferred to a Division 1 program this year. After recording 1,173 points and 624 rebounds at Saginaw Valley State, DePerry will suit up for South Dakota in her final year.
Lexi Donarski has taken home the following awards in her time at Iowa State; Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-Big 12, two-time All-Defensive Team, one honorable mention all-conference. This season, Donarski will suit up for North Carolina after recording 1,251 points, 301 rebounds, 203 assists and 74 steals during her time at Iowa State.
Carly Duffney of Green Bay Preble had a great freshman campaign at South Dakota last year. She averaged 10.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Coyotes.
Leah Earnest of Stevens Point has had a very solid career at Valparaiso. Entering her senior campaign, Earnest has scored over 605 points and hauled in over 420 rebounds during her tenure. In her junior season last year, Earnest averaged 9.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Caitlyn Harper of Arrowhead earned a lot of honors while dominating at Cal Baptist, where she put up 1,286 points, 556 rebounds and 116 blocks. Last season in her first year at Purdue, she averaged over ten points and three rebounds per game. Caitlyn will be joined by sister Alaina on the Boilermakers this year.
Kiyah Hurst of Milwaukee Academy of Science will look to improve upon a great freshman season at North Dakota this upcoming year. Last season, Hurst averaged 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Leilani Kapinus of Madison Memorial is in her third season at Penn State and has already picked up some accolades. She was named to the 2021-22 Big Ten All-Freshman Team as a freshman. Last season she earned Big Ten All-Defensive and Honorable Mention All-Conference honors after averaging 11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. She's totaled 626 points, 373 rebounds, and 185 steals in her two years.
Chelby Koker of Shoreland Lutheran earned her third straight All-MAC honors last season while at Northern Illinois, being named to the Second Team All-Conference. She averaged 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. In her career, Koker has accumulated 1,530 points, 468 rebounds and 320 assists.
Emily La Chapell of Appleton East transferred from Marquette to Belmont this past offseason, despite experiencing success for the Golden Eagles. La Chapell averaged 5.3 points and three rebounds per game as a freshman, being named to the Big East All-Freshman team.
Macy McGlone of Hortonville transferred from UW-Milwaukee to Eastern Illinois last season and excelled on the hardwood. After averaging 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, McGlone was named to the Ohio Valley All-Newcomer and All-Conference First Team.
Khamya McNeal of Milwaukee King transferred from Syracuse to Stetson in 2021 and had a good season last year. The now junior averaged over ten points, four rebounds and one assist per game.
Aaliyah Moore of West Bend West is another player that earned honors before transferring this past season. After averaging over ten points and ten rebounds per game, Moore earned Second Team All-NEC honors and transferred from Saint Francis (PA) to Loyola Chicago.
Sammy Opichka of Notre Dame saw her role expand as a sophomore for St. Thomas MN last season. Opichka averaged over 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Kamy Peppler of Hortonville saw extended action in her first season at UW-Milwaukee. So much so that she was named to the 2022-23 Horizon League All-Freshman Team. Peppler averaged 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the Panthers.
Jordan Reisma of Brown Deer had a great freshman season at Cleveland State. She averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as she earned Horizon League All-Freshman Team laurels.
Cassie Schiltz of Luxemburg-Casco enters her junior season at UW-Green Bay having accumulated 678 points and 346 rebounds in two season. She averaged over nine points and five rebounds per game last season.
Grace Schmidt of Watertown Luther Prep had a standout freshman campaign at Cal Baptist. She averaged 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds as she was named to the All-WAC Second Team.
Jaddan Simmons of Green Bay Southwest is in her final season at Arizona State and it should be her best. Last year as a junior, Simmons averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game and was named to the PAC 12 All-Defensive Team. For her career, Simmons has put up 845 points, 289 rebounds and 120 steals.
Sitori Tanin of Middleton earned MVC All-Freshman Team honors during the 2020-21 season. Now a senior, Tanin is coming off a junior campaign in which she averaged 9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She's accumulated 637 points and 457 rebounds in her collegiate career.
Shemera Williams of Milwaukee Academy of Science took a while to find her footing at the collegiate level, but seems to have done so at Southern Illinois. The USC and Virginia transfer averaged over ten points and two assister per game last year for the Saluckis.
Maty Wilke of Beaver Dam was highlighted above as she transfers from Wisconsin to Utah after a terrific freshman season where she averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Badgers.
First Name | Last Name | High School | College | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abbie | Aalsma | Waupun | Illinois State | Soph |
Jaelyn | Acker | Germantown | Furman | Soph |
Natalie | Anderson | Mukwonago | UW-Green Bay | Senior |
Avree | Antony | Sun Prairie East | Colorado State | Frosh |
KK | Arnold | Germantown | UConn | Frosh |
Lianna | Baxter | Oconto | Oakland | Soph |
Courtney | Becker | Aquinas | Drake | Senior |
Hannah | Belanger | Grafton | Iowa State | Senior |
Sammi | Beyer | Appleton East | St. Thomas MN | Frosh |
Lexi | Bugajski | New Berlin Eisenhower | Appalachian State | Frosh |
Bailey | Butler | Black Hawk | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Jayla | Butler | Milwaukee School of Languages | Bellarmine | Soph |
Jorey | Buwalda | Randolph | UW-Milwaukee | Frosh |
Mesa | Byom | Melrose-Mindoro | South Dakota State | Junior |
Angie | Cera | Mukwonago | UW-Milwaukee | Junior |
Kaye | Clark | Milwaukee King | Old Dominion | Senior |
Grace | Crowley | Homestead | UW-Milwaukee | Senior |
Jacia | Cunningham | Milwaukee School of Languages | Chicago State | Soph |
Kadie | Deaton | Wausau West | Pacific | Senior |
Tori | DePerry | Shawano | South Dakota | Senior |
Audrey | Deptula | Middleton | Loyola Chicago | Frosh |
Alissa | Dins | Laconia | Western Illinois | Senior |
Madilyn | Dogs | Kewaskum | NJIT | Frosh |
Jada | Donaldson | Beaver Dam | UW-Milwaukee | Junior |
Lexi | Donarski | Aquinas | North Carolina | Senior |
Macy | Donarski | Aquinas | Montana | Frosh |
MaKenzie | Drout | Kimberly | Appalachian State | Frosh |
Carley | Duffney | Green Bay Preble | South Dakota | Soph |
Leah | Earnest | Stevens Point | Valparaiso | Senior |
Lalani | Ellis | Milwaukee Academy of Science | Eastern Illinois | Frosh |
Phoebe | Frentzel | Arrowhead | St. Thomas MN | Junior |
Morgann | Gardner | Racine Lutheran | Omaha | Junior |
Callie | Genke | Freedom | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Caelan | Givens | Chippewa Falls | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Grace | Grocholski | Kettle Moraine | Minnesota | Frosh |
Lily | Hansford | Appleton East | Oregon State | Soph |
Alaina | Harper | Arrowhead | Purdue | Soph |
Caitlyn | Harper | Arrowhead | Purdue | Senior |
Maggie | Hartwig | Sauk Prairie | Evansville | Frosh |
Rachael | Heittola | Belleville | Northern Iowa | Senior |
Annyka | Hellendrung | Waukesha West | Oral Roberts | Frosh |
Paulina | Hernandez | Oak Creek | Cleveland State | Frosh |
Paige | Hodgson | Beaver Dam | Northern Kentucky | Junior |
Kiyah | Hurst | Milwaukee Academy of Science | North Dakota | Soph |
Gabby | Johnson | Freedom | St. Thomas MN | Junior |
Lyric | Johnson | Hortonville | Eastern Illinois | Soph |
Ayianna | Johnson | Jefferson | Minnesota | Frosh |
Leilani | Kapinus | Madison Memorial | Penn State | Junior |
Chelby | Koker | Shoreland Lutheran | Northern Illinois | Senior |
Jasmine | Kondrakiewicz | Pius XI Catholic | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Lily | Krahn | Prairie du Chien | Wisconsin | Soph |
Emily | La Chapell | Appleton East | Belmont | Soph |
Taylor | Lauterbach | Appleton West | Virginia | Senior |
Natalie | Leuzinger | Black Hawk | Wisconsin | Senior |
Bailey | Lutes | Cuba City | UIC | Junior |
Anna | Lutz | Marshall | UW-Milwaukee | Soph |
Ellie | Magestro-Kennedy | Janesville Craig | Wright State | Frosh |
Elena | Maier | Waunakee | Kent State | Soph |
Macy | McGlone | Hortonville | Eastern Illinois | Junior |
Natalie | McNeal | Germantown | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Khamya | McNeal | Milwaukee King | Stetson | Junior |
Maria | Messling | Evansville | Western Illinois | Frosh |
Jordan | Meulemans | De Pere | Butler | Soph |
Mya | Moore | Pius XI Catholic | Seattle U | Soph |
Aaliyah | Moore | West Bend West | Loyola Chicago | Senior |
Anna | Mortag | Brookfield Central | Butler | Senior |
Ashala | Moseberry | Madison East | West Virginia | Junior |
Laura | Nickel | Marshall | Northern Illinois | Junior |
Sammy | Opichka | Notre Dame | St. Thomas MN | Junior |
Julianna | Ouimette | Lakeland | Lehigh | Frosh |
Reagan | Pahl | Cedarburg | Denver | Frosh |
Kamy | Peppler | Hortonville | UW-Milwaukee | Soph |
Isabella | Pitta | Lake Mills | Lipscomb | Frosh |
Sophia | Rampulla | Union Grove | UW-Milwaukee | Frosh |
Lily | Randgaard | Kettle Moraine | Western Illinois | Soph |
Payton | Rechlicz | Menomonee Falls | UW-Milwaukee | Frosh |
Jordana | Reisma | Brown Deer | Cleveland State | Soph |
Kendall | Rendard | Green Bay Preble | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Bella | Samz | Arrowhead | Youngstown State | Frosh |
Cassie | Schiltz | Luxemburg-Casco | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Grace | Schmidt | Watertown Luther Prep | Cal Baptist | Soph |
Maddy | Schreiber | Kimberly | UW-Green Bay | Junior |
Meghan | Schultz | New Berlin West | UW-Green Bay | Frosh |
Jaddan | Simmons | Green Bay Southwest | Arizona State | Senior |
Tara | Stauffacher | Beaver Dam | Northern Illinois | Senior |
Lizzie | Steingraber | New London | St. Thomas MN | Frosh |
Caroline | Strande | Racine Lutheran | Butler | Senior |
Sitori | Tanin | Middleton | Loyola Chicago | Senior |
Nevaeh | Thomas | Kenosha Bradford | Evansville | Frosh |
Maddie | Walsh | Arrowhead | UAB | Senior |
Tahlia | Walton | Stanley-Boyd | IUPUI | Senior |
Imani | Warren | Milwaukee King | New Mexico State | Frosh |
Jen | Wendler | Owen-Withee | Youngstown State | Senior |
Maty | Wilke | Beaver Dam | Utah | Soph |
Shemera | Williams | Milwaukee Academy of Science | Southern Illinois | Senior |
Lauren | With | Arrowhead | Denver | Senior |
Callie | Ziebell | Sparta | Bradley | Junior |
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