Freshman Kandace Evans and sophomore Erin Olson will not return to the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team next season, according an announcement made by head coach Lisa Stone Wednesday.

Evans, a native of Southfield, Mich., is leaving the women’s basketball program, but the 5-foot-7 guard will retain her athletic scholarship if she elects to stay at Wisconsin. She averaged 12.3 minutes per game and saw action in 24 of 27 games this season. As the lone freshman on the Badger roster this year, Evans averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. If she decides to transfer, she will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Erin Olson, a sophomore walk-on from Waukesha, Wis., has ended her college basketball career to focus on her academic pursuits in special education. Olson, who had her first collegiate start in the 2004 season finale, averaged 0.6 points and 0.3 rebounds in 15 games. An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, she averaged 4.9 minutes per game as a reserve guard.

While news of Evans and Olson’s departure came as a surprise to Badger fans, Coach Stone expressed gratitude for what the two young guards contributed while they were a part of her program.

“We wish Kandace and Erin well in all their future endeavors,” coach Stone said. “Each has contributed to the best of their abilities to our program, and our staff is appreciative of those efforts.”

Stone, who completed her first season at Wisconsin with a 10-17 overall record, has signed six recruits for the upcoming season.

She accepted the head-coaching job at Wisconsin after successful tenures at the helm of Cornell College, UW-Eau Claire and Drake University.

—compiled from staff reports