Enormous may be an understatement when describing the amount of change the University of Wisconsin womenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ basketball team has undergone this offseason.
The Badgers welcomed in a new head coach, three new assistants and eight new players throughout the past few months, making for a busy time within the program following Marisa MoseleyÃÛèÖÊÓƵ resignation.
“Everything moves so fast, and a whirlwind is an understatement, but we’re really excited,†first-year Wisconsin coach Robin Pingeton said.
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The top-to-bottom renovation has the Badgers looking like a completely new team heading into the 2025-26 season.
Here are three takeaways from the offseason thus far.
Ronnie Porter helping bridge the gap
Ronnie Porter ended a Wisconsin fire sale in the transfer portal when she withdrew her name on April 29.
The 5-foot-2 senior initially entered the portal March 18, nine days after MoseleyÃÛèÖÊÓƵ resignation, and was among six Badgers looking to transfer. But Pingeton was able to connect and share her vision with Porter, despite the period of time between Porter's entrance into the portal and Pingeton's hire.
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“It was really about building relationships and really getting to know Ronnie's journey, sharing who we are and what we're about, what our vision was, and making sure there was a good fit on both sides,†Pingeton said. “I think she got really excited, and obviously, she's a really talented player.â€
Porter developed from a walk-on into a two-year starter under Moseley, starting all but one game across the past two seasons.
She averaged 8.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, numbers that were down from her sophomore campaign — 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds. But Porter made up for that with a career-high 5.1 assists and led the Big Ten with a 2.48 assist to turnover ratio this past season.
Beyond her proven production, PorterÃÛèÖÊÓƵ return gives Pingeton a crucial bridge between the program's eight new players and its returning pieces, most of whom rarely played last season.
Ronnie Porter1
Wisconsin guard Ronnie Porter drives past Southern Cal's JuJu Watkins during a Big Ten Conference game on Feb. 5 at the Kohl Center in Madison. Porter returns to the Badgers for her senior season after withdrawing her name from the transfer portal.
“It can be really valuable if it's the right player,†Pingeton said of PorterÃÛèÖÊÓƵ experience. “and we feel like Ronnie is the right player.
“I think having Ronnie back as a player that's been at the University of Wisconsin, that takes a lot of pride in putting on that jersey and in representing this university, I think there's a lot of intangibles that go along with that. We’re just really excited to have her back.â€
Experience, drive highlight transfer portal additions
Even with how busy Pingeton was in the transfer portal — adding six transfers as well as a pair of freshmen in Nikki Kerstein and Dorja Iva Zaja — the Badgers didn’t target one-year solutions.
Laci Steele, Kyrah Daniels, Shay Bollin and Breauna Ware all enter Madison with two years of eligibility remaining. Bollin, who missed all of last season at Illinois due to an injury, and Ware join the program after spending three seasons at their respective schools, but both served a redshirt season during their time there.
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Pingeton recognizes the luxury it is to have two-thirds of the incoming transfer class set to return for the 2026-27 season, but that isn’t the end all, be all.
“ThatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ outstanding, but the most important thing that we were looking at is putting together a roster for this upcoming season that we feel like can have success on the court and compete in the Big Ten,†she said.
Graduate transfers Destiny Howell and Gift Uchenna will likely help with that.
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Howell averaged 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Howard last season, earning first-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors. Uchenna, meanwhile, averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 12.8 rebounds, the latter of which set a Southern Illinois single-season program record and ranked second in all of Division I.
“I think some of them played more dominant roles in programs than others,†Pingeton said. “But others that played in really good programs and maybe had a little chip on their shoulder and are anxious for the opportunity to play in a different system and play in a different role.â€
Robin Pingeton not pulling punches with postseason sights
Pingeton is well aware that with a mix of old and new, it may take time for it all to come together on the court.
That being said, it hasn’t hampered her aspirations.
Destiny Howell
Destiny Howell, the 2023 MEAC Player of the Year, led Howard in scoring this season with 14.8 points per game after returning from a torn ACL suffered in October 2023.
“We want to be a team that's going to play in March. That's where our sights are set. That's where we want to get to,†she said. “We didn't shy away from communicating that with our recruiting. Point blank period, we want to be a team that plays in March.â€
Pingeton believes that desire is not far-fetched given the Badgers' approach during the recruiting process for this season. When talking to potential transfer additions, the Wisconsin staff wanted a shared mindset and “talked about three non-negotiables.â€
“No. 1, a skill set that translates to being able to elevate our program and play at a high level in the Big Ten. No. 2, we wanted players that really love skill development, because it's a huge part of what we do on the court, in regards to the system that we run,†she said. “And then No. 3, is just the culture that we wanted in that locker room; understanding that it's going to be bigger than any of us.â€
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Pingeton is confident the group assembled checks all those boxes, not to mention they also have “a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.â€
“I always say ‘You come in as teammates and our goal as a staff is that you’re going to leave as sisters,’†she added. “I really feel confident that we've got a group of young ladies that are going to really lock arms in that locker room and feel like we've got an opportunity to do something really special here.â€
Photos: Wisconsin women's basketball hosts No. 2 UCLA in home finale
Photos of the Badgers and Bruins facing off in a Big Ten Conference game on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Kohl Center in Madison.
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