Women’s basketball: Badgers hope to rekindle underwhelming season

Moseley’s squad seeks to maintain home-court advantage

February 8, 2023

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Entering the final eight games of her second season as the head coach of University of Wisconsin women’s basketball, Marisa Moseley is eyeing a strong finish as she continues to rebuild the program.

Coach Moseley has already seen her squad improve in many ways after last season’s 8-21 finish, as they are now just two wins shy of eclipsing last year’s eight-win mark. With just eight games left, Coach Moseley and the Badgers will look to continue to improve upon last year’s record with tough matchups against No. 2 Ohio State and Iowa on the horizon. 

One of the biggest improvements made by Moseley’s squad this season has been reestablishing a home court advantage at the Kohl Center. The Badgers currently possess a 4-4 record at home after splitting their two home games Jan. 25 and 29, including a 13-point blown lead against Northwestern. Marissa Haegele/The Badger Herald

Despite the loss, Serah Williams once again led the Badgers in scoring with 21 points, as the freshman forward is quickly making a name for herself in the Big Ten. Recruited out of Ontario, Canada, Williams has made an immediate reputation as one of the key additions in Moseley’s first recruiting class, shooting a staggering 53.6% from the field.

“Serah’s future as a Badger is going to be special,” Moseley told UWbadgers.com in 2021. “She has great hands, runs the floor with ease, and can score from all three levels. Her ability to anticipate where the ball is coming off the rim and her desire to compete will be great additions to our front line! I am ecstatic to have her as a part of our program.”

While Williams was expected to make an immediate impact on coach Moseley’s squad, redshirt freshman Matyson Wilke has been the biggest surprise for the Badgers this season. The freshman guard has played a key role on the team ,averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 81.5% from the free throw line.

But despite the promise of these newcomers, the Badgers have still struggled against Big Ten opponents, posting just two wins in conference play. In order to improve upon last season’s 5-13 record against conference opponents, the Badgers will have to win four of their final nine games.

This will be no easy task as on top of their inner conference woes, the Badgers have struggled on the road, posting a 2-6 record away from the Kohl Center. The Badgers will have four more opportunities to play at the Kohl Center, where they will look to finish the season above .500 at home for the first time since 2019. 

Unfortunately, the Badgers will have a tough task defending their home-court advantage with Rutgers serving as their only opponent with a losing record. The biggest challenge for the Badgers’ final stretch comes in the form of No. 2 Ohio State coming off only their second loss of the season.

While the Badgers are still likely to finish at the bottom of the Big Ten, the program is beginning to make strides in the right direction under Moseley. A strong finish in their final eight games would be a major confidence boost for a young program.