WATCH: Wisconsin women’s basketball leaders gearing up for 2024-25 campaign

WATCH: Wisconsin women’s basketball upperclassmen gearing up for 2024-25 campaign

Wisconsin’s women’s basketball team showcased upperclassmen Serah Williams, Halle Douglass and Natalie Leuzinger in their first practice footage of the offseason on Tuesday.

Wisconsin kick-started its offseason practices weeks ago, but the Badgers had yet to display their three longest tenured players honing in on their skills this summer.

Williams, a junior from Brooklyn, New York, registered a team-best 17.4 points per appearance during her 2023-24 season. She also took home 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of Year honors and earned 2024 Big Ten First Team nods during her sophomore season.

Leuzinger, a graduate student, averaged 7.7 points and 9.5 minutes per game in 2023-24, while Douglass played in 25 games and posted 3.8 points per contest.

As a team, the Badgers will participate in the 2024 Cancun Challenge from Nov. 28-30 alongside Providence, San Diego State, VCU, BYU, Idaho State, Iowa, Rhode Island, Rice and Vermont.

Wisconsin will also host eight Big Ten opponents, including new conference foes UCLA and USC. Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota and Rutgers round out that list.

Away games against Washington, Oregon, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue and Minnesota are also on UW’s horizon.

While Williams, Douglass and Leuzinger will serve as this crew’s veteran trio, UW will welcome four new players this fall. International guard Alba Martin Mesa, walk-on Reese Jaramillo, former Northern Kentucky center Carter McCray and former Duquesne guard Tess Myers will play their first games as Badgers during the 2024-25 slate.

Marisa Moseley’s group will look to build off its 15-17 mark and Great 8 appearance in the WNIT last season.

Wisconsin women’s basketball falls to Saint Louis, is eliminated from WNIT

Wisconsin women’s basketball falls to Saint Louis, is eliminated from WNIT

Wisconsin’s women’s basketball program fell to Saint Louis University 65-60 in its Great 8 round of the 2024 Women’s National Invitation Tournament on Monday, April 1. 

With a 15-17 overall clip before yesterday’s action, the Badgers conquered both the University of Southern Indiana and Illinois State University in the first two rounds of their postseason gauntlet.

Wisconsin’s leading scorer and rebounder Serah Williams exited with an injury in the first minute of the Badgers’ contest against Saint Louis. The Billikens capitalized and orchestrated an 8-0 scoring surge to open the contest. 

The Badgers responded with four straight layups and a pair of jumpers to cut the deficit to two, but Saint Louis maintained a four-tally advantage heading into the second stanza.

UW’s offense sputtered in the second quarter – Wisconsin registered nine total points and surrendered nine unanswered points before the break. The Billikens marched into intermission up eight. 

Moseley’s crew appeared to find new life towards the tail end of the third period with a flurry of layups from Halle Douglass, Ronnie Porter and D’Yanis Jimenez. The momentum proved true, and Wisconsin pulled within a point with 6:24 to spare in the contest.

Guard Ronnie Porter knotted the game at 53 apiece off a free throw, and the Badgers seemed to command the Kohl Center crowd when crunch time commenced. Badgers freshman Tessa Grady went on to drill a three-point field goal to put UW ahead 58-57 in the final minutes, but Saint Louis forced a pair of key turnovers late to clinch a 65-60 win.

Wisconsin’s season ends with a 17-18 record after the brief postseason surge.