With the graduation of three starters, most notably Jessie Stomski and Tamara Moore, the Wisconsin women’s basketball team will feature a few new faces in the 2002-03 season.

Head coach Jane Albright, who has amassed 154 victories and just 86 losses in her eight years at the helm, will need returning starters Emily Ashbaugh and Kristi Seeger to step up and fill much of the leadership void left by Stomski, Moore and former guard Kyle Black.

Last season, UW busted out of the gates and began the year on a 16-1 tear, which included an Albright-era record 15 straight wins, in which the team found itself ranked as high as No. 5. The Badgers, however, ran out of gas and subsequently finished with a 19-12 mark, winning just three of their final 14 games. UW coaches and fans alike are hoping this year’s team can put together a more complete season.

Although it’s up in the air as to who will join Ashbaugh and Seeger in the starting lineup, Albright will be looking for last year’s prominent role players to produce on a consistent basis, regardless of whether they start or come off the bench.

At guard, UW will probably be counting on sophomore sensation Stephanie Rich to play a bulk of the minutes in the backcourt.

Rich, a savvy floor leader and great defender, traveled with the Big Ten tour team to Europe this summer. She received a significant amount of playing time and even started in three of the team’s contests. In her freshman campaign, she averaged just 15 minutes and 3.2 ppg but earned the respect of her coaches and teammates with her unselfish play and tenacity on defense.

Originally, it was expected that Rich was to be part of a backcourt tandem with senior Candas Smith. However, Smith was unable to meet the academic requirements necessary to stay on scholarship or the team.

The vacancy left by Smith could be filled by any one of a number of young guards. Albright has but two choices if she decides to go with an upperclassman to join Rich in the backcourt, though. Senior Leah Hefte and junior Jessica Liegel have primarily been used as reserve players over the course of their respective Badger careers.

Implementing Hefte in the starting lineup, however, would stretch the defense and force teams to respect the perimeter because of her ability to knock down the three.

Her ability to hit the three-point shot and her three years of experience will likely earn Hefte the starting nod. The minutes at this position, however, may be shared by a number of players.

Liegel and sophomore Shawna Nichols are the only two other returning guards from last year’s team besides Rich and Hefte. Consequently, a freshman might have to step up and become an impact player.

This year’s recruiting class includes guards Kjersten Bakke, Ashley Josephson and Erin Olson. Each player had an accomplished high-school career and could potentially play crucial minutes for the team this year.

As for the interior, players besides Ashbaugh and Seeger, UW fans should be giddy with anticipation. UW will not only be returning 6-foot-3 forward Ebba Gebisa, the Badgers’ fifth-leading scorer and rebounder in 2002-03, but will also be adding her sister, Lello Gebisa, who sat out last season as a red-shirt transfer from Duke.

At 6-foot-7, the junior center will be the tallest player ever to play at Wisconsin. She developed chemistry with the team last year through practices and will make opposing players think twice before taking it to the rim.

Rounding out Albright’s options in the frontcourt are junior Abby Simmons and 6-foot-1 freshmen Jordan Wilson and Annie Nelson. Expect Ashbaugh, Seeger and the Gebisa sisters to play most of the minutes underneath, though.

The Badgers will hit the hardwood for the first time this season when they play host to Wisconsin’s AAU select team on Nov. 10. They will then play another exhibition game at the Kohl Center against Brazil on Nov. 14 before beginning regular-season play against Northern Illinois the following week.

If Emily Ashbaugh, Kristi Seeger and company can pick up where last year’s team left off after their 16-1 start, don’t be surprised if Albright’s squad ends up being one of the teams to beat in the Big Ten this season.