Starting out the season strong, Northwestern Women’s Basketball had two big wins this past weekend at a tournament in Chicago, Illinois. They are currently ranked fifth in the conference for the pre-season poll.
Competition will be constant this year as most teams are made up of senior talent. The team will also have their toughest non-conference roster with teams who competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament last year. These teams include IU-Northwest, Mayville St, St. Mary and Dakota State.
As challenging as this season will be, they also have a high ranking and are a force to be reckoned with. Fifth-year student Maddison Jones and senior Molly Schany are two returning starters who were leading scorers and all-conference players last season. They will help lead the team along with upperclassman Hali Anderson as a guard, Maren Nerem as a post, and senior transfer Kaydin Davis as a starter.
“We have great depth and versatility with our roster this year and will look to play at a fast pace offensively while finding a healthy balance of guard/post play.” Coach Rotert said.
Jones comments, “I think we have a good chance of making a deep running into nationals this year. I think we bring a lot of new players to the table that others may overlook early in the season. Our goal is for every season to either be Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC regular season champions or GPAC conference champions. The goal remains the same for this season.”
Coach Rotert believes that “we bring a unique understanding and relatability to what it looks like to be a collegiate athlete. It is truly a joy to lead this program and work with such great young women and coaches.” As the season is just kicking off, the women’s basketball team is prepared for the challenging season ahead. With great coaches, leaders and players they expect to go far.
