The Nebraska women’s basketball team opens its 2023-24 season by taking on Dakota Wesleyan in its lone exhibition game of the year on Sunday, Oct. 29.
Tip-off between the Huskers and Tigers is set for Noon (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena with tickets available now at Huskers.com/Tickets or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). Season Tickets, Starting 5 Pack and single-game tickets are all available to provide exciting options for fans to watch the Huskers in person throughout the season at PBA.
A live video stream of the game will be provided to subscribers of B1G+. Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha, the Huskers App and Huskers.com, as Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch team up for their 23rd season together calling the action. Pregame starts at 11:30 a.m. (CT).
Nebraska enters the season with three returning starters, including preseason All-Big Ten selections Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski. Shelley and Markowski were both named to preseason national player-of-the-year watch lists at their positions last week.
Graduate guard Maddie Krull, who started 60 games in two seasons at South Dakota, before transferring to Nebraska prior to last season, joins Shelley and Markowski as returning starters. Krull made 24 starts for the Big Red a year ago. The Millard South High School grad earned her bachelor’s degree from Nebraska in August, just three seasons into her college career.
The Huskers, who are coming off an 18-15 season that included a trip to the Super 16 in the Postseason WNIT, will be shooting for a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Six returning Huskers (Shelley, Markowski, Kendall Coley, Kendall Moriarty, Annika Stewart, Allison Weidner) were members of Nebraska’s 2022 NCAA Tournament team, while Krull helped South Dakota to a pair of NCAA berths, including the 2022 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Newcomer Darian White also competed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament after leading Montana State to the Big Sky Tournament title.
White is expected to make an instant impact on Nebraska’s roster in 2023-24. The 5-6 graduate transfer was a three-time first-team All-Big Sky selection and two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year at Montana State. She scored 1,716 points (14.3 ppg), grabbed 612 rebounds (5.1 rpg), dished out 449 assists (3.7 apg) and grabbed 260 steals (2.2 spg) in 120 starts as a Bobcat. She was the 2022 Big Sky Tournament MVP and the 2020 Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
vs. Dakota Wesleyan Tigers
Exhibition: Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, Noon (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com/Tickets or 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+ (subscription required)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (11:30 a.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Nebraska Cornhuskers (18-15, 8-10 Big Ten, 2022-23)
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 1.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 11.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 14.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 14.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 6.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 3.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg
44 - Maggie Mendelson - 6-5 - So. - F/C - 2.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - High School
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - High School
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - High School
3 - Allison Weidner (Out) - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (114-99); 17th Season Overall (307-208)
Dakota Wesleyan Tigers (23-9, 15-7 GPAC, 2022-23)
42 - Anna Campbell - 5-11 - Sr. - F - 0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg
52 - Lacey Sprakel - 5-10 - Jr. - F - 6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg
14 - Morgan Edelman - 5-6 - Jr. - G - 8.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg
30 - Isabel Ihnen - 5-7 - Sr. - G - 9.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
32 - Rylee Rosenquist - 5-7 - So. - G - 8.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Off the Bench
20 - Mya Wilson - 5-3 - Sr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
15 - Maleighya Estes - 5-7 - So. - G - 1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg
24 - Taliyah Hayes - 5-6 - So. - G - 0.9 ppg, 0.2 rpg
2 - Grace Fryda - 5-7 - RSo. - G - Did Not Play
40 - Abby Bramer - 5-6 - Jr. - G - Did Not Play
50 - Addy Kramer - 5-8 - So. - G - Did Not Play
4 - Jaida Young - 5-6 - Fr. - G - High School
10 - Tyra Gates - 5-6 - Fr. - G - High School
24 - Emma Yost - 5-11 - Fr. - F - High School
34 - Shalayne Nagel - 5-11 - Fr. - G - High School
Head Coach: Jason Christensen (Dakota Wesleyan, 1998)
14th Season at Dakota Wesleyan (276-148); 14th Season Overall (276-148)
Scouting The Dakota Wesleyan Tigers
Dakota Wesleyan comes to Lincoln to meet the Huskers for the first time in history. The NAIA Tigers will make the four-plus hour drive from Mitchell, S.D., to Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Dakota Wesleyan competes in the Great Plains Athletic Conference alongside Nebraska’s College of Saint Mary, Concordia, Doane, Hastings and Midland.
Last season, the Tigers finished with a 23-9 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Tournament in Fayette, Mo., falling 57-53 to Central Methodist (Mo.), which advanced to the national semifinals in Sioux City, Iowa. Dakota Wesleyan went 15-7 in the GPAC.
In 2022, DWU won the GPAC Tournament title and advanced to the NAIA second round, falling to Bethel (Tenn.), 54-53 at DJ Sokol Arena on the Creighton campus. The Tigers finished with a 27-8 record that included a regular-season loss at South Dakota State. Dakota Wesleyan finished 15-7 in the GPAC.
The Tigers must replace their top two scorers from a year ago - 6-4 center Jada Campbell (14.3 ppg) and 5-10 forward Matti Reiner (14.0 ppg), who both started all 32 games. Campbell was also DWU’s leading rebounder (6.4 rpg), while Reiner led the Tigers in assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.5 spg), while ranking third on the team in rebounding (5.3 rpg).
Dakota Wesleyan’s roster does not include any players taller than 5-11, as the Tigers will rely on returning guards Isabel Ihnen and Morgan Edelman for production and leadership.
Ihnen averaged 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while making all 32 starts last season. The 5-7 senior connected on a team-best 57 three-pointers.
The 5-6 Edelman added 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds to go along with 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, while starting 29 of DWU’s 32 contests as a sophomore a year ago.
Sophomore Rylee Rosenquist, a 5-7 guard, returns after starting 15 games as a freshman for the Tigers a year ago. Rosenquist averaged 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds while connecting on 53.1 percent of her shots from the floor.
Lacey Sprakel, a 5-10 junior forward who made two starts and played in all 32 games a year ago, could step in to replace Reiner in the starting five. Sprakel averaged 6.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in just 12.7 minutes per game last season.
The Tigers return just four other players who saw action a year ago, including 5-3 senior Mya Wilson (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg), 5-7 sophomore Maleighya Estes (1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg), 5-6 sophomore Taliyah Hayes (0.9 ppg, 0.2 rpg) and the tallest returning player on the roster - 5-11 senior Anna Campbell (0.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg).
As a team, Dakota Wesleyan averaged 72.1 points while surrendering 58.3 points per game a year ago. The Tigers carried a plus-7.8 team rebounding margin and a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). They hit 44.2 percent of their field goals, including 31.5 percent of their three-pointers while averaging 4.9 threes per game. DWU also sank 74.7 percent of its free throws.
Nebraska vs. Dakota Wesleyan Series History
Sunday’s meeting will be the first in history between Nebraska and Dakota Wesleyan.
The last time the Huskers faced a team from the Dakotas (either North or South) came on Dec. 21, 2013, when South Dakota came to Lincoln and suffered an 87-53 loss to No. 19 Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena. That South Dakota team was coached by current Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams, who took that Coyote team to the Summit League Tournament title and the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
White Ready for Husker Debut
Nebraska expects to get an immediate boost in the backcourt from three-time first-team All-Big Sky guard Darian White.
The 5-6 graduate student transferred into the Husker program during the summer after averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals over 120 starts in four seasons at Montana State.
The No. 2 scorer in Montana State history, White finished with 1,716 points, 612 rebounds, 449 assists and 260 steals.
White was the 2022 Big Sky Tournament MVP, leading the Bobcats to the conference title and a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
She was also a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022) and the 2020 Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
White was the 2019 Idaho Gatorade High School Player of the Year and joins three-time North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year Logan Nissley, two-time Missouri MaxPreps Player of the Year Natalie Potts and Australian National Program forward Jessica Petrie in Nebraska’s group of four newcomers for 2023-24.
Returning Starter Weidner Out for Season
Allison Weidner suffered a right leg injury in practice on Friday, Oct. 13, and will miss the 2023-24 season. She underwent surgery on Oct. 25.
Weidner, a 5-10 junior from Humphrey, Neb., averaged 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds through 13 games as a starter in 2022-23 before suffering a season-ending left leg injury in the fourth quarter of an 85-79 triple-overtime victory over No. 20 Kansas at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 21. Weidner’s recovery and rehabilitation on her left leg since surgery on Jan. 10, 2023, had gone well, and she was expecting to return to action for the start of this season before suffering the right leg injury.
Weidner averaged 13.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two wins over Big Ten opponents Maryland and Wisconsin in December of 2022. Nebraska was 10-3 overall with Weidner in the starting lineup.
As a true freshman, Weidner played in all 33 games, including nine starts, helping Nebraska to the 2022 NCAA Tournament. She averaged 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a freshman.
Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska has won 36 consecutive exhibition games dating back to an 81-58 loss to the Australian Institute of Sport at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Nov. 12, 2000.
• Last season, the Huskers defeated Washburn, 70-27, at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Oct. 30, 2022. Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. NU’s only other active returning starter from that game is Jaz Shelley, who managed four points, three rebounds and four assists.
• In two career exhibition games, Markowski has produced 33 points and 19 rebounds in 39 minutes. Shelley owns 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in 41 minutes of exhibition play as a Husker.
• Nebraska has won its last five exhibition games by an average of 47.6 points per game, dating back to an 88-55 win over Minnesota State-Mankato on Nov. 5, 2017.
• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 464 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 343 consecutive games.
• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 27 times in the last 73 games, including 15 times in 2022-23.
Husker Roster Filled with State Players of the Year
The 2023-24 Nebraska women’s basketball roster features five state players of the year in basketball, who won their respective awards from their home states from 2019 to 2023. The group of five combined for eight state basketball player-of-the-year honors, while adding three state volleyball player-of-the-year awards. Nebraska’s group does not include Allison Weidner, who was the state of Nebraska’s overall girls athlete of the year across all sports in 2021.
Freshman Logan Nissley carries the most state player-of-the-year honors with her to Lincoln. The 6-0 guard from Bismarck was a three-time North Dakota Gatorade High School Player of the Year in basketball. She led Bismarck Century to three straight state championship game appearances, including a title in 2022. Nissley was also the North Dakota Volleyball Player of the Year as a junior (2021) and senior (2022).
Fellow freshman Natalie Potts added a pair of Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year honors in 2021 and 2023. She was also the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021. Potts, a 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., led Incarnate Word Academy to a 100-game winning streak to close her career. She finished her high school career with 2,108 points and 1,008 rebounds - just the third player in Missouri high school history to achieve that combined milestone.
Junior center Alexis Markowski was the 2021 Nebraska Gatorade and MaxPreps High School Player of the Year at Lincoln Pius X. One of 10 semifinalists for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award in 2023, Markowski was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Nebraska. She is a two-time preseason All-Big Ten selection and a two-time second-team All-Big Ten choice. Before arriving at Nebraska, Markowski led Pius X to back-to-back Class A state titles in 2020 and 2021 as the captain of the Class A All-Tournament team.
Sophomore center/forward Maggie Mendelson was the Utah High School Player of the Year in both basketball and volleyball in 2021. Mendelson graduated from Fremont High School in Utah a year early and joined the Nebraska volleyball and women’s basketball programs for the 2022-23 season. She has helped the volleyball team to a current No. 1 national ranking. In the summer of 2021, Mendelson helped the U.S. Under 16 National Team to gold at the FIBA Americas Championship in August. She also played for the U.S. Under 18 National Volleyball Team at the FIVB U18 World Championships a month later, before winning volleyball gold with the U.S. Under 19 National Team at the Pan American Cup in July of 2022. She played in 22 basketball games for the Huskers as a freshman.
Graduate transfer Darian White was the 2019 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year at Mountain View High School. The 5-6 point guard averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.4 steals on her way to All-Idaho Player-of-the-Year honors. She led Mountain View to a 25-1 record and a state runner-up finish as a senior, before earning 2020 Big Sky Freshman-of-the-Year accolades at Montana State. She went on to be a three-time first-team All-Big Sky selection at Montana State (2021, 2022, 2023) and a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year (2021, 2022). She was also the Big Sky Tournament MVP in 2022.
Junior Allison Weidner was not a state basketball player of the year, but she was Nebraska’s overall Girls High School Athlete of the Year in 2021. The two-time first-team all-class all-state pick in basketball was a two-time Class D2 first-team all-state volleyball player and an eight-time Nebraska state track and field champion at Humphrey St. Francis.
Regular-Season Opener to Feature Life Skills Pep Rally
Nebraska’s regular-season opener with Northwestern State (Nov. 6, noon) will include the annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally.
The 2023 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, will feature messages from Husker student-athletes and coaches. This year, the Huskers expect nearly 3,333 students and 377 accompanying staff members from 68 schools across the state of Nebraska.
The 2023 opener marks the fifth time (2013, 2019, 2021, 2022) Pinnacle Bank Arena and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed with the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame to host the Pep Rally for middle grades students. The students and accompanying staff are provided complimentary water from Pepsi and pizza from Nebraska Athletics.
The Sportsmanship Pep Rally begins at 9:30 a.m. on the main court at Pinnacle Bank Arena and will feature messages from Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams and Husker women’s basketball players Annika Stewart and Callin Hake, along with appearances by Olympian Jordan Larson and Husker Bekka Allick (volleyball) and All-American men’s gymnast Taylor Christopulos. Coaches and student-athletes from other Nebraska programs are being finalized, while world champion jump roper Tori Boggs will perform at both the rally and at halftime of Monday’s game. The Sportsmanship Pep Rally will conclude at 10:45 a.m.
A group of Valentine Middle School students will be traveling nearly five hours and just over 300 miles, making the longest journey to the pep rally for the second consecutive year. A strong representation of Northeast, Southeast and Central Nebraska community schools are also attending, including more than 300 from Raymond Central and well over 100 each from Centennial, Exeter-Milligan, Freeman, Malcolm, North Bend Central and Seward public schools.