As the season comes to a close for the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team, the Badgers dropped their penultimate contest to the University of Iowa Hawkeyes 88-61.
Unfortunately, slow and steady did not win the race. Iowa confidently won the first three quarters with margins of 10, 12 and 11, respectively. The Badgers finished the fourth quarter strong, outscoring the Hawkeyes 23-17.
The best part about the end of the season is how each player brings their game. This is the time where true colors are shown. It’s the last time they get to prove themselves to their teammates. So, even in this lackluster season that has seen the Badgers limp to a 2-13 conference record, there is still much to watch for.
In her second to last game as a Badger, senior Cayla McMorris, maintained her top scorer status with 14 points. Topping another average of 6.4 rebounds, McMorris came out with 11 out of the teams 29 against the Hawkeyes. This resulted in yet another double-double for the books. She also tied her career high of four steals.
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It was only two weeks ago that McMorris scored her 1000th point against The Ohio State University, she now has 1,037 points in her career.
This is the time of the year when seniors are looking back at their experiences at Wisconsin and reminiscing. Whether it’s the goals they’ve reached and accomplished or those nail-biting games that changed their athletic outlooks forever, this is the time to look back. This is the moment when these women realize they have one game left and that’s it.
When asked what she was most looking forward to for this season, she told UW Athletics, “being able to have one last opportunity to help change the program.” The women who have grown with this team aren’t forgetting the mark they leave on the university. They want people to remember them as implementing change in the program.
So this game wasn’t just a loss, but it was a reminder their time is winding down — but it’s still possible to come back. The Wisconsin women’s basketball team is capable of ending the regular season with a win. Then there is still a chance to shock the world and take home the Big Ten Tournament title starting Feb. 28.
McMorris, along with seniors Kelly Karlis and Malayna Johnson, will have their final game against Michigan State Wednesday in East Lansing.
