The Wisconsin women’s basketball team has shown vast improvement over the past two years, largely in part to the foundation built by new head coach Marisa Moseley, who joined the program in March 2021.
This was evident when Wisconsin dominated Rutgers en route to surpassing last season’s win total and when Wisconsin defeated No. 12 Michigan for the first time in nine years to extend their win streak to three games.
Fans of Wisconsin women’s basketball, it seems, have noticed these developments as well. Over 8,000 fans showed up to support the team at the National Girls and Women in Sports Day matchup against Northwestern Jan. 29.
Moseley was hired in 2021 as head coach of the team. While coaching a women’s basketball team that has struggled to compete in the Big Ten over the past 10 years, she is also seeking to redefine the culture of the program in order to set the Badgers up for future success.
As a newly hired coach, Moseley established pillars to create a new culture for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team. These pillars, which include Winning Mindset, Integrity, Selflessness, Communication and Legacy, lay the groundwork for a new era of the Badgers’ program.
“[The pillars] have developed in a way that is organic,” Moseley said. “This is who we are, this is what we stand for, and those are the foundational pieces of where the program is going.”
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Moseley hopes the groundwork she has implemented over the past two years has resonated with her players, and she inspires them to compete at the highest level.
Moseley’s leadership has already proven successful in her first two years as head coach. In the 2022-2023 regular season, the Badgers have won six Big Ten games, their most since the 2010-2011 season and eclipsed the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.
“I want us to play our best basketball, I want us to respect the game and the way that we approach it,” Moseley said. “I want people to walk away from our games feeling like they know we gave it our all on the court.”
According to Moseley, much of the Badger’s success this season has to do with a “cornerstone” in the program involving Serah Williams, Maty Wilke and Sania Copeland. The three players, donning the cardinal and white for the first time this season, have been instrumental in scoring points and leading the Badgers to a three-game win streak to finish the regular season.
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Wisconsin’s recent on-court success has translated into an increase in fans, too. The Badgers’ attendance has grown in the past year, reaching a season-high of 8,217 fans Jan. 29 against Northwestern during National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Moseley is known not only for her impact on the team, but engagement with fans. She addresses Badger fans at the end of every Wisconsin basketball game, regardless of the score, thanking them for their support.
Moseley wants Badger fans to know that while this program has progressed, it is not yet at its full potential. Instead, this year’s team is laying the foundation for future success.
Heading into the final frame of the 2022-2023 season, coach Moseley feels confident in how the team is playing heading into the Big Ten tournament later this week.
“You want to be playing your best basketball in February,” Moseley said. “There is a huge shift in momentum, and I think there is a huge confidence piece that we’re playing on.”
