GREEN BAY, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women’s basketball team is looking to build off last year’s first NCAA tournament berth since 2018.
Kayla Karius is returning to her alma mater, now taking on the role of head coach instead of a player. Karius was on the 2011 team that made it to the “Sweet 16” in the NCAA tournament. She said this team has a lot of potential.
“What has really impressed me the most is how they’ve taken what they’ve already done and had a lot of success with, and then stayed really open-minded to a new staff coming in and saying, ‘Okay, we know you won 27 games and won the conference tournament, went in the NCAA tournament, but we feel like we can get better and this, this and this,’” said Karius. “They’re accepting that and they’re open minded in saying, ‘We haven’t gone as far as we wanted to go here in the last couple of years and so how do we take the fresh eyes and the new approach and make ourselves even better?’”
Karius oversees a team that has seven seniors and five starters returning.
She’s taking over for former head coach Kevin Borseth. He retired after 21 seasons over two stints with the Phoenix.
His teams made it to the NCAA tournament 13 times. Karius said Borseth created a strong culture of well-coached athletes.
“My practice style is upbeat and energetic and really pushing them and challenging them,” said Karius. “I find that we’re finding more ways to challenge them and make the goal set the standard really, really high. They don’t always achieve that in practice and we’re okay with that because it means that we’re striving towards a higher goal.”
Senior guard Natalie McNeal is the returning Horizon League Tournament MVP. She averaged a team high 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.
The Germantown High School graduate said the team is hungry to be better this season.
“I think it’s not as much as like we don’t want to play against each other,” said McNeal. “It’s more like we’re ready to play with each other and as a unit and being able to have our different rotations in and see what works for us and just kind of find our identity as a team as the season goes on.”
Karius said she is excited to be back on the Kress Events Center floor. It’s something she hasn’t done in 13 years.
“In my opinion, this team, these people are the complete package,” said Karius. “They have everything going for them and yet they’re really not satisfied and then it’s our job to motivate them to stay unsatisfied and stay hungry the whole way.”
The Phoenix open its season against the No. 13 ranked Kansas State Wildcats on Nov. 4. Green Bay has its home opener Nov. 9 against Northern Iowa.