Huskers Continue Season-Opening Stand Saturday
Nov 6, 2024 / NU Athletics
The No. 23 Nebraska women’s basketball team shoots for its second win of the season when the Big Red takes on a tough Southeastern Louisiana squad on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.
Tip-off between the Huskers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) and the Lady Lions (1-0, 0-0 Southland) is set for a 1 p.m. (CT) as the front end of a women’s and men’s basketball double-header at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Nebraska men battle Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m.
Doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena will open 90 minutes prior to tip with Starting 5 Pack and Single-Game Tickets on sale now at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG-RED during regular business hours Monday-Friday.
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 continue their 24th season together calling all the action of Nebraska women’s basketball. Pregame starts at 12:30 p.m. (CT).
Nebraska, which is coming off a 23-12 campaign that included a run to the Big Ten Championship Game and a trip to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, opened 2024-25 with an impressive 88-48 victory over Omaha on Monday afternoon at PBA.
Naismith Trophy and Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski opened her senior season with a school-record breaking 41st career double-double to lead the Huskers against the Mavericks. The 6-3 center out of Lincoln Pius X High School led the Big Red with team highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds, surpassing the previous school record of 40 double-doubles that she shared with first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14).
A three-time All-Big Ten selection, Markowski averaged 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead Nebraska in both categories a year ago. She needs just 33 rebounds to become the sixth player in Husker history to achieve 1,000 career boards.
Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts matched Markowski with 14 points to lead the Huskers against Omaha, while adding six boards. The defensive pressure by the 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., also helped set the tone for Nebraska’s 47-15 halftime lead after an 18-2 surge to open the game. Potts was an eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week a year ago while averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Fellow Big Ten All-Freshman selection Logan Nissley added 12 big points on just three field goal attempts in 11 minutes off the bench.. The 6-0 shooting guard from Bismarck, N.D., hit her lone three-point attempt while being fouled in the act of another three. She also finished a pair of traditional three-point plays against Omaha. Nissley, who is still recovering from offseason foot surgery, averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 2023-24. She started Nebraska’s final 10 games and led the Big Red with 16 points in a first-round NCAA win over Texas A&M.
The 8,106 fans at PBA for the opener also celebrated the return of 2022-23 starter Allison Weidner (Humphrey, Neb.), along with the much-anticipated debut of two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year Britt Prince (Elkhorn North High School) to the Husker backcourt. Weidner, who is recovering from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries, had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals, while Prince put up 10 points and a game-high five assists along with two steals.
Fellow freshman Petra Bozan put six Huskers in double figures against Omaha, going for 12 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench. The 6-3 forward/center who is a member of the Croatian U18 National Team, hit a pair of three-point attempts and added a blocked shot.
Nebraska’s 14 steals against Omaha matched the most for the Huskers under Coach Amy Williams and tied the most by any NU team since getting 15 steals in a win over Kansas State on Feb. 18, 2006.
23/23 Nebraska Cornhuskers
vs. Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions
Saturday, November 9, 2024, 1 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (12:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Tip-off between the Huskers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) and the Lady Lions (1-0, 0-0 Southland) is set for a 1 p.m. (CT) as the front end of a women’s and men’s basketball double-header at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Nebraska men battle Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m.
Doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena will open 90 minutes prior to tip with Starting 5 Pack and Single-Game Tickets on sale now at Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG-RED during regular business hours Monday-Friday.
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 continue their 24th season together calling all the action of Nebraska women’s basketball. Pregame starts at 12:30 p.m. (CT).
Nebraska, which is coming off a 23-12 campaign that included a run to the Big Ten Championship Game and a trip to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, opened 2024-25 with an impressive 88-48 victory over Omaha on Monday afternoon at PBA.
Naismith Trophy and Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski opened her senior season with a school-record breaking 41st career double-double to lead the Huskers against the Mavericks. The 6-3 center out of Lincoln Pius X High School led the Big Red with team highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds, surpassing the previous school record of 40 double-doubles that she shared with first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14).
A three-time All-Big Ten selection, Markowski averaged 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds to lead Nebraska in both categories a year ago. She needs just 33 rebounds to become the sixth player in Husker history to achieve 1,000 career boards.
Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts matched Markowski with 14 points to lead the Huskers against Omaha, while adding six boards. The defensive pressure by the 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., also helped set the tone for Nebraska’s 47-15 halftime lead after an 18-2 surge to open the game. Potts was an eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week a year ago while averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Fellow Big Ten All-Freshman selection Logan Nissley added 12 big points on just three field goal attempts in 11 minutes off the bench.. The 6-0 shooting guard from Bismarck, N.D., hit her lone three-point attempt while being fouled in the act of another three. She also finished a pair of traditional three-point plays against Omaha. Nissley, who is still recovering from offseason foot surgery, averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 2023-24. She started Nebraska’s final 10 games and led the Big Red with 16 points in a first-round NCAA win over Texas A&M.
The 8,106 fans at PBA for the opener also celebrated the return of 2022-23 starter Allison Weidner (Humphrey, Neb.), along with the much-anticipated debut of two-time Nebraska High School Player of the Year Britt Prince (Elkhorn North High School) to the Husker backcourt. Weidner, who is recovering from back-to-back season-ending knee injuries, had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals, while Prince put up 10 points and a game-high five assists along with two steals.
Fellow freshman Petra Bozan put six Huskers in double figures against Omaha, going for 12 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench. The 6-3 forward/center who is a member of the Croatian U18 National Team, hit a pair of three-point attempts and added a blocked shot.
Nebraska’s 14 steals against Omaha matched the most for the Huskers under Coach Amy Williams and tied the most by any NU team since getting 15 steals in a win over Kansas State on Feb. 18, 2006.
23/23 Nebraska Cornhuskers
vs. Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions
Saturday, November 9, 2024, 1 p.m. (CT)
Pinnacle Bank Arena - Lincoln, Nebraska
Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED
Live Video: B1G+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (12:30 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
23/23 Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - So. - F - 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Sr. - C/F - 14.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - RJr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Off the Bench
44 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - So. - G - 12.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
5 - Alberte Rimdal - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Gr. - F/G - 3.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - So. - F - 2.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
4 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - Fr. - G - Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Ninth Season at Nebraska (138-111); 18th Season Overall (331-220)
Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions (1-0, 0-0 Southland)
0 - Lexi Alexander - 6-0 - Jr. - F - 9.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
1 - Jalencia Pierre - 5-5 - Jr. - G - 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
2 - Arianna Patton - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
5 - Taylor Bell - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 15.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
31 - Alexius Horne - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
30 - Cheyanne Daniels - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
7 - Tyreona Sybley - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
11 - Avari Berry - 5-6 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
4 - Demi Gentry - 5-11 - So. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
6 - Kaili Chamberlin - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
13 - Mo’Nique Joseph - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
12 - Terri Crawford - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Ayla Guzzardo (Akron, 2010)
Eighth Season at Southeastern Louisiana (97-99); Eighth Season Overall (97-99)
Scouting Southeastern Louisiana
• Southeastern Louisiana brings an experienced and successful roster to Lincoln to face the Huskers. The Lady Lions have strung together four consecutive winning seasons under eighth-year head coach Ayla Guzzardo. SLU has averaged 20 wins over the past two years.
• Guzzardo, who is leading her hometown team in Hammond, La., was the 2023 Southland Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Lions to a conference tournament title and the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• SLU opened 2024-25 with a 79-45 win over NCAA Division III Millsaps College on Monday at the University Center in Hammond. Senior guard Taylor Bell scored 15 points to lead four Lady Lions in double figures. Alexius Horne and Cheyanne Daniels each pitched in 14 points, while Arianna Patton added 11. Lexi Alexander also pitched in nine points and nine rebounds.
• Southeastern Louisiana must replace first-team All-Southland guard Hailey Giarantano, who averaged team bests of 12.2 points and 3.0 assists, while adding 4.2 rebounds for the 19-12 Lady Lions a year ago. Giarantano, who is now an assistant coach for the Lady Lions, was also the MVP of the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament while leading the team to an NCAA Tournament berth. The 2023 squad finished with a 21-10 record that included a first-round NCAA loss at Iowa.
• The Lady Lions were bolstered in the transfer portal by second-team All-Southland guard Lexi Alexander. The 6-0 junior forward from Round Rock, Texas, led Nicholls with 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She was also the 2023 Southland Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
• Alexander’s addition and the return of 2023 first-team All-Southland guard Alexius Horne from injury give the Lady Lions arguably the most potent lineup in the Southland. Last season, SLU advanced to the Southland semifinals before losing to eventual champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 60-59. The 2023-24 squad played the entire year without Horne, who suffered a season-ending injury in the 2023 Southland Tournament semifinal win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Horne averaged 12.0 points while starting SLU’s first 29 games in 2022-23.
• Junior Jalencia Pierre is back after starting 27 games in the SLU backcourt last season. The 5-5 guard was named the SLC Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals. She was also an All-Southland Defensive selection as a freshman.
• Senior Taylor Bell also returns after starting 16 games for the Lady Lions a year ago. The 5-11 guard ranked second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and led the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg).
• Fellow senior Arianna Patton brings more experience after starting 15 games in 2023-24. The 5-5 Patton averaged 4.0 points a year ago.
• Cheyanne Daniels enjoyed a productive season opener with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench to begin her second season with the Lady Lions. The 6-3 senior forward started 27 games for SLU last season, averaging 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while leading the team with 30 blocks on the year. Daniels, who transferred to Southeastern Louisiana from Shawnee Community College in Illinois, averaged 16.4 points and 10.8 rebounds as a sophomore at the NJCAA level in 2022-23. A Miami native, Daniels played in 29 games with 18 starts (2.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) as a freshman at Florida International in 2019-20, before transferring to Florida Southwestern junior college for the 2020-21 season and playing just four games.
Nebraska vs. Southeastern Louisiana History
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - So. - F - 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Sr. - C/F - 14.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - RJr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Off the Bench
44 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - So. - G - 12.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
5 - Alberte Rimdal - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Gr. - F/G - 3.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - So. - F - 2.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
4 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - Fr. - G - Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Ninth Season at Nebraska (138-111); 18th Season Overall (331-220)
Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions (1-0, 0-0 Southland)
0 - Lexi Alexander - 6-0 - Jr. - F - 9.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
1 - Jalencia Pierre - 5-5 - Jr. - G - 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
2 - Arianna Patton - 5-5 - Sr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
5 - Taylor Bell - 5-11 - Sr. - G - 15.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
31 - Alexius Horne - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
30 - Cheyanne Daniels - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
7 - Tyreona Sybley - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
11 - Avari Berry - 5-6 - So. - G - 2.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
4 - Demi Gentry - 5-11 - So. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
6 - Kaili Chamberlin - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
13 - Mo’Nique Joseph - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
12 - Terri Crawford - 6-1 - Sr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Ayla Guzzardo (Akron, 2010)
Eighth Season at Southeastern Louisiana (97-99); Eighth Season Overall (97-99)
Scouting Southeastern Louisiana
• Southeastern Louisiana brings an experienced and successful roster to Lincoln to face the Huskers. The Lady Lions have strung together four consecutive winning seasons under eighth-year head coach Ayla Guzzardo. SLU has averaged 20 wins over the past two years.
• Guzzardo, who is leading her hometown team in Hammond, La., was the 2023 Southland Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Lions to a conference tournament title and the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• SLU opened 2024-25 with a 79-45 win over NCAA Division III Millsaps College on Monday at the University Center in Hammond. Senior guard Taylor Bell scored 15 points to lead four Lady Lions in double figures. Alexius Horne and Cheyanne Daniels each pitched in 14 points, while Arianna Patton added 11. Lexi Alexander also pitched in nine points and nine rebounds.
• Southeastern Louisiana must replace first-team All-Southland guard Hailey Giarantano, who averaged team bests of 12.2 points and 3.0 assists, while adding 4.2 rebounds for the 19-12 Lady Lions a year ago. Giarantano, who is now an assistant coach for the Lady Lions, was also the MVP of the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament while leading the team to an NCAA Tournament berth. The 2023 squad finished with a 21-10 record that included a first-round NCAA loss at Iowa.
• The Lady Lions were bolstered in the transfer portal by second-team All-Southland guard Lexi Alexander. The 6-0 junior forward from Round Rock, Texas, led Nicholls with 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore. She was also the 2023 Southland Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
• Alexander’s addition and the return of 2023 first-team All-Southland guard Alexius Horne from injury give the Lady Lions arguably the most potent lineup in the Southland. Last season, SLU advanced to the Southland semifinals before losing to eventual champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 60-59. The 2023-24 squad played the entire year without Horne, who suffered a season-ending injury in the 2023 Southland Tournament semifinal win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Horne averaged 12.0 points while starting SLU’s first 29 games in 2022-23.
• Junior Jalencia Pierre is back after starting 27 games in the SLU backcourt last season. The 5-5 guard was named the SLC Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals. She was also an All-Southland Defensive selection as a freshman.
• Senior Taylor Bell also returns after starting 16 games for the Lady Lions a year ago. The 5-11 guard ranked second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and led the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg).
• Fellow senior Arianna Patton brings more experience after starting 15 games in 2023-24. The 5-5 Patton averaged 4.0 points a year ago.
• Cheyanne Daniels enjoyed a productive season opener with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench to begin her second season with the Lady Lions. The 6-3 senior forward started 27 games for SLU last season, averaging 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while leading the team with 30 blocks on the year. Daniels, who transferred to Southeastern Louisiana from Shawnee Community College in Illinois, averaged 16.4 points and 10.8 rebounds as a sophomore at the NJCAA level in 2022-23. A Miami native, Daniels played in 29 games with 18 starts (2.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) as a freshman at Florida International in 2019-20, before transferring to Florida Southwestern junior college for the 2020-21 season and playing just four games.
Nebraska vs. Southeastern Louisiana History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Southeastern Louisiana 2-0, but the two schools have not met for nearly 20 years.
• The Huskers ran to an 82-35 win over the Lady Lions in the last meeting at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Dec. 1, 2004. In her third season leading the Huskers, Coach Connie Yori’s squad produced a balanced effort led by 14 points and five assists from Kiera Hardy, while future Olympian Chelsea Aubry nearly notched a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Jina Johansen put three Huskers in double figures with 10 points and six assists, while Jess Gerhart contributed seven points and 11 boards. Another future Olympian, Danielle Page had seven points and eight rebounds.
• In the first meeting between the schools under Head Coach Paul Sanderford, Nebraska powered its way to an 83-59 win at the Devaney Center on Nov. 25, 2000. Casey Leonhardt led all scorers with 21 points in just 20 minutes on 8-of-12 shooting. Shahidrah Roberts and Steph Jones each added nine points in strong efforts off the bench to help the Huskers improve to 4-0 on the year.
Husker History of Home-Opening Success
• The Huskers ran to an 82-35 win over the Lady Lions in the last meeting at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Dec. 1, 2004. In her third season leading the Huskers, Coach Connie Yori’s squad produced a balanced effort led by 14 points and five assists from Kiera Hardy, while future Olympian Chelsea Aubry nearly notched a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Jina Johansen put three Huskers in double figures with 10 points and six assists, while Jess Gerhart contributed seven points and 11 boards. Another future Olympian, Danielle Page had seven points and eight rebounds.
• In the first meeting between the schools under Head Coach Paul Sanderford, Nebraska powered its way to an 83-59 win at the Devaney Center on Nov. 25, 2000. Casey Leonhardt led all scorers with 21 points in just 20 minutes on 8-of-12 shooting. Shahidrah Roberts and Steph Jones each added nine points in strong efforts off the bench to help the Huskers improve to 4-0 on the year.
Husker History of Home-Opening Success
• Nebraska owns a history of season-opening success on the Huskers’ home court. NU improved to 48-3 in home season openers with its 88-48 win over Omaha on Nov. 4, 2024.
• NU is 11-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in season openers, including a 100-36 victory over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022). Nebraska’s lone loss came on Nov. 7, 2018, with an 83-77 setback to Drake. In the first regular-season game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena, Nebraska powered its way to a 77-49 win over UCLA on Nov. 8, 2013, in front of a Husker opening-day record crowd of 9,750 in the first Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally associated with women’s basketball.
• Nebraska’s only season-opening home losses have come to Drake (2018), South Dakota State (Nov. 19, 2005) and Kansas (Nov. 21, 1980).
• Nebraska has been strong in its first four home games every season. In fact, NU is 175-26 (.871) over 50 seasons in its first four home contests, including 43-7 in Game No. 2, 40-10 in Game No. 3 and 44-6 in Game No. 4.
Markowski Named to Naismith Watch List
• Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski was among the 50 women’s college basketball players named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Oct. 28.
• Markowski, a 6-3 center out of Lincoln Pius X High School, earned her third consecutive appearance on the Naismith Trophy preseason list.
• A three-time preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection, Markowski earned first-team All-Big Ten honors a year ago after averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Huskers. She also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after powering the Big Red to the Big Ten Championship Game.
• A three-time Lisa Leslie Center-of-the-Year Award candidate, Markowski was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as both a freshman and sophomore. She was also the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Markowski Earns Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
• Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski captured Preseason All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season when the conference announced its annual awards on Thursday, Sept. 26.
• Markowski, a 6-3 center from Lincoln, Neb., was one of 10 players across the conference’s 18 teams to earn preseason recognition from both the Big Ten coaches and media. She also earned preseason All-Big Ten honors as a junior in 2023-24 and as a sophomore in 2022-23, after being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year following the 2021-22 season.
• A three-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate, Markowski claimed first-team All-Big Ten honors at the conclusion of a 2023-24 season when she led Nebraska to an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Markowski, who led Nebraska with team-best averages of 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds while starting all 35 games for the 23-12 Huskers in 2023-24, produced 19 double-doubles a year ago to push her career total to 40. She has matched Husker first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14) for Nebraska’s career double-doubles record.
• Markowski earned a spot on the 2024 Big Ten All-Tournament Team by averaging 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists over four games, including 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the Big Ten Championship Game.
• Markowski entered the SLU game just 33 rebounds away from becoming the sixth player in school history with 1,000 career rebounds. She is 313 rebounds away from Janet Smith’s more than 40-year-old Nebraska career rebound record (1,280). Markowski, who had 369 rebounds last season, is also within striking distance of one of the top-five rebounding totals in Big Ten Conference history.
• Markowski, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2022-23, owns 1,377 points entering her senior season.
• USC’s JuJu Watkins was the only unanimous choice of the coaches and media to earn preseason All-Big Ten honors. The sophomore was the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by both.
• The coaches and media were also in agreement on the top five teams in preseason voting, beginning with No. 1 USC, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Maryland and No. 5 Indiana.
Huskers Beat Bison in Sioux Falls Scrimmage
• Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 23 points to lead Nebraska to an 84-67 win over North Dakota State in a scrimmage at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday, Oct. 19.
• Markowski hit 9-of-11 shots from the field and 5-of-6 free throws in an efficient effort.
• In a well-played scrimmage that did not include many fastbreak baskets for either team, the Huskers shot nearly 60 percent from the field while connecting on 25-of-29 free throws against the Bison. North Dakota State countered by hitting 50 percent of its shots, including 42.9 percent of its threes, while going 13-of-20 at the free throw line.
• Freshmen Britt Prince and Amiah Hargrove each added nine points and three rebounds for the Huskers, while junior Callin Hake contributed nine points and three assists.
• Senior transfer Alberte Rimdal scored eight points, while sophomore forwards Natalie Potts and Jessica Petrie each pitched in six points along with senior guard Kendall Moriarty.
• Allison Weidner returned to the court with four points and four assists for the Huskers, while freshman Petra Bozan added four points and four rebounds.
• Avery Koenen was the only North Dakota State player in double figures, as the sophomore forward led the Bison with 17 points. Marisa Frost and Abby Graham each pitched in eight points.
• Nebraska will return to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Saturday, Nov. 16 to take on South Dakota with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
Opener with Omaha Featured Life Skills Pep Rally
• The Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday, Nov. 4 was the largest rally associated with the Husker women’s basketball season opener since the event helped open the doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013.
• A record 75 schools from around the state participated with more than 3,800 students and accompanying adults attending the event, which took place prior to Nebraska women’s basketball’s 88-48 win over Omaha, including a group from Hemingford (more than 6-hour drive, 385 miles). The rally helped push Nebraska’s overall attendance to 8,106 for the game with the Mavs - the second-largest season-opening crowd in school history.
• In 2023-24, the pep rally welcomed more than 3,300 students and accompanying adults from 62 middle grades schools from across the state of Nebraska.
• The pep rally helped the Huskers attract the third-largest opening-day crowd in program history with 7,065 fans on hand at PBA, trailing only the 9,750 fans on hand for the opening game in the history of the building against UCLA in 2013.
• The event, which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, features positive messages from Husker student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators. This year’s Pep Rally marked the sixth time since 2013 (also 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) the event was paired with Nebraska’s season-opening women’s basketball game.
• The 2022 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally included 2,200 students and more than 200 accompanying staff members from 42 schools across Nebraska for the opener with Omaha.
• The Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which is focused on 4th through 8th grade students across the state of Nebraska, not only includes inspiring messages from current and former Nebraska student-athletes and staff members, it also includes complimentary pizza from Nebraska Athletics and water provided by Pepsi for students and accompanying school staff members.
• The 2024 Pep Rally began at 9:30 a.m., and included messages from Coach Amy Williams, Huskers Alexis Markowski, Allison Weidner, Kendall Coley and Kendall Moriarty, along with volleyball players Bergen Reilly and Merritt Beason, baseball players Drew Christo and Caleb Clark and track and field athletes Micaylon Moore and Niko Schultz. It concluded at 10:45 a.m., prior to Nebraska and Omaha taking the court for pregame warm-ups ahead of their noon tip-off.
Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rallies at Women’s Basketball
• NU is 11-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in season openers, including a 100-36 victory over Omaha (Nov. 7, 2022). Nebraska’s lone loss came on Nov. 7, 2018, with an 83-77 setback to Drake. In the first regular-season game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena, Nebraska powered its way to a 77-49 win over UCLA on Nov. 8, 2013, in front of a Husker opening-day record crowd of 9,750 in the first Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally associated with women’s basketball.
• Nebraska’s only season-opening home losses have come to Drake (2018), South Dakota State (Nov. 19, 2005) and Kansas (Nov. 21, 1980).
• Nebraska has been strong in its first four home games every season. In fact, NU is 175-26 (.871) over 50 seasons in its first four home contests, including 43-7 in Game No. 2, 40-10 in Game No. 3 and 44-6 in Game No. 4.
Markowski Named to Naismith Watch List
• Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski was among the 50 women’s college basketball players named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Oct. 28.
• Markowski, a 6-3 center out of Lincoln Pius X High School, earned her third consecutive appearance on the Naismith Trophy preseason list.
• A three-time preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection, Markowski earned first-team All-Big Ten honors a year ago after averaging 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds for the Huskers. She also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after powering the Big Red to the Big Ten Championship Game.
• A three-time Lisa Leslie Center-of-the-Year Award candidate, Markowski was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as both a freshman and sophomore. She was also the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Markowski Earns Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
• Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski captured Preseason All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season when the conference announced its annual awards on Thursday, Sept. 26.
• Markowski, a 6-3 center from Lincoln, Neb., was one of 10 players across the conference’s 18 teams to earn preseason recognition from both the Big Ten coaches and media. She also earned preseason All-Big Ten honors as a junior in 2023-24 and as a sophomore in 2022-23, after being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year following the 2021-22 season.
• A three-time Lisa Leslie Award candidate, Markowski claimed first-team All-Big Ten honors at the conclusion of a 2023-24 season when she led Nebraska to an appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Markowski, who led Nebraska with team-best averages of 15.7 points and 10.5 rebounds while starting all 35 games for the 23-12 Huskers in 2023-24, produced 19 double-doubles a year ago to push her career total to 40. She has matched Husker first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14) for Nebraska’s career double-doubles record.
• Markowski earned a spot on the 2024 Big Ten All-Tournament Team by averaging 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists over four games, including 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the Big Ten Championship Game.
• Markowski entered the SLU game just 33 rebounds away from becoming the sixth player in school history with 1,000 career rebounds. She is 313 rebounds away from Janet Smith’s more than 40-year-old Nebraska career rebound record (1,280). Markowski, who had 369 rebounds last season, is also within striking distance of one of the top-five rebounding totals in Big Ten Conference history.
• Markowski, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore in 2022-23, owns 1,377 points entering her senior season.
• USC’s JuJu Watkins was the only unanimous choice of the coaches and media to earn preseason All-Big Ten honors. The sophomore was the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by both.
• The coaches and media were also in agreement on the top five teams in preseason voting, beginning with No. 1 USC, No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Maryland and No. 5 Indiana.
Huskers Beat Bison in Sioux Falls Scrimmage
• Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 23 points to lead Nebraska to an 84-67 win over North Dakota State in a scrimmage at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday, Oct. 19.
• Markowski hit 9-of-11 shots from the field and 5-of-6 free throws in an efficient effort.
• In a well-played scrimmage that did not include many fastbreak baskets for either team, the Huskers shot nearly 60 percent from the field while connecting on 25-of-29 free throws against the Bison. North Dakota State countered by hitting 50 percent of its shots, including 42.9 percent of its threes, while going 13-of-20 at the free throw line.
• Freshmen Britt Prince and Amiah Hargrove each added nine points and three rebounds for the Huskers, while junior Callin Hake contributed nine points and three assists.
• Senior transfer Alberte Rimdal scored eight points, while sophomore forwards Natalie Potts and Jessica Petrie each pitched in six points along with senior guard Kendall Moriarty.
• Allison Weidner returned to the court with four points and four assists for the Huskers, while freshman Petra Bozan added four points and four rebounds.
• Avery Koenen was the only North Dakota State player in double figures, as the sophomore forward led the Bison with 17 points. Marisa Frost and Abby Graham each pitched in eight points.
• Nebraska will return to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls on Saturday, Nov. 16 to take on South Dakota with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.
Opener with Omaha Featured Life Skills Pep Rally
• The Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday, Nov. 4 was the largest rally associated with the Husker women’s basketball season opener since the event helped open the doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013.
• A record 75 schools from around the state participated with more than 3,800 students and accompanying adults attending the event, which took place prior to Nebraska women’s basketball’s 88-48 win over Omaha, including a group from Hemingford (more than 6-hour drive, 385 miles). The rally helped push Nebraska’s overall attendance to 8,106 for the game with the Mavs - the second-largest season-opening crowd in school history.
• In 2023-24, the pep rally welcomed more than 3,300 students and accompanying adults from 62 middle grades schools from across the state of Nebraska.
• The pep rally helped the Huskers attract the third-largest opening-day crowd in program history with 7,065 fans on hand at PBA, trailing only the 9,750 fans on hand for the opening game in the history of the building against UCLA in 2013.
• The event, which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, features positive messages from Husker student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators. This year’s Pep Rally marked the sixth time since 2013 (also 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) the event was paired with Nebraska’s season-opening women’s basketball game.
• The 2022 Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally included 2,200 students and more than 200 accompanying staff members from 42 schools across Nebraska for the opener with Omaha.
• The Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which is focused on 4th through 8th grade students across the state of Nebraska, not only includes inspiring messages from current and former Nebraska student-athletes and staff members, it also includes complimentary pizza from Nebraska Athletics and water provided by Pepsi for students and accompanying school staff members.
• The 2024 Pep Rally began at 9:30 a.m., and included messages from Coach Amy Williams, Huskers Alexis Markowski, Allison Weidner, Kendall Coley and Kendall Moriarty, along with volleyball players Bergen Reilly and Merritt Beason, baseball players Drew Christo and Caleb Clark and track and field athletes Micaylon Moore and Niko Schultz. It concluded at 10:45 a.m., prior to Nebraska and Omaha taking the court for pregame warm-ups ahead of their noon tip-off.
Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rallies at Women’s Basketball
2024 - 8,106 (attendance) / 3,800 (students/staff - 75 schools) vs. Omaha
2023 - 7,065 (attendance) / 3,300 (students/staff - 62 schools) vs. Northwestern State
2022 - 6,233 (attendance) / 2,500 (students/staff - 40 schools) vs. Omaha
2021 - 4,476 (attendance) / 1,600 (students/staff - 30 schools) vs. Maine
2019 - 5,250 (attendance) / 2,000 (students/staff - 27 schools) vs. Alabama A&M
2013 - 9,750 (attendance) / 4,000 (students/staff - 45 schools) vs. UCLA
Huskers Ranked No. 23 in Preseason Polls
• Nebraska opened the 2024-25 season at No. 23 in both the Associated Press Poll released on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 announced on Thursday, Oct. 24.
• The Huskers are coming off a trip to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The Big Red, which finished with a 23-12 record a year ago that included an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark, returns first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) and Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts (O’Fallon, Mo.), along with Big Ten All-Freshman selection Logan Nissley (Bismarck, N.D.).
• Returning starters Kendall Moriarty (Wheaton, Ill.) and Callin Hake (Victoria, Minn.) are also back, along with contributors Kendall Coley (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Jessica Petrie (Gold Coast, Australia).
• Nebraska is bolstered by the return of redshirt junior guard Allison Weidner (Humphrey, Neb.), who missed last season with an injury. The Huskers look forward to showcasing two-time Nebraska High School Player-of-the-Year Britt Prince (Elkhorn, Neb.), one of the nation’s top recruits, alongside fellow freshmen Amiah Hargrove (Christopher, Ill.), Petra Bozan (Split, Croatia) and Kennadi Williams (Lincoln, Neb.) as well as senior transfer Alberte Rimdal (Koge, Denmark).
• The 2024-25 season marks the second time in the past three years that Nebraska has opened in the AP Top 25. In 2022-23, the Huskers began the season at No. 22 in the AP Poll.
• The Huskers are one of six Big Ten Conference teams ranked in the preseason polls, joining No. 3/3 USC, No. 5/6 UCLA, No. 14/14 Ohio State, No. 18/18 Maryland and No. 25/24 Indiana. Iowa (26/30) led the next group of Big Ten teams receiving votes, while Illinois (29/37), and Michigan State (AP 31) give the Big Ten nine teams among the top 32 nationally in the polls. Michigan (T48 USA) also received one vote in the coaches poll.
• Defending national champion South Carolina earned the No. 1 spot in both polls, while UConn starts the season at No. 2 in both national rankings.
• Last season, Nebraska finished No. 25 in the final NCAA NET rankings.
Huskers Win Women’s Four-Sport Attendance
• Nebraska was the top draw in NCAA Division I women’s team sports in 2023-24, attracting a nation-leading 418,198 total fans to women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball home games.
• Nebraska’s four-sport total was 19,090 more than South Carolina’s 399,108, while LSU finished third with 328,380 fans across the same four sports.
• Iowa finished fourth with 280,773 to rank second in the Big Ten - nearly 138,000 fans behind the Huskers, while Texas ranked fifth nationally with 270,757.
• Nebraska was the only school in the country to rank in the top 15 nationally in average home attendance in all four major women’s team sports in 2023-24, including No. 1 in volleyball (264,665), No. 10 in softball (38,919), No. 15 in women’s basketball (97,411) and No. 15 in soccer (17,203).
• Overall, Nebraska ranked third nationally in seven-sport attendance (football, men’s basketball, baseball) with a school-record 1.49 million fans attending Husker home events in 2023-24. Only LSU and Tennessee attracted more fans than the Big Red.
Huskers Celebrate 50 Years of Women’s Sports
• Nebraska Athletics will be celebrating 50 years of women’s varsity athletics throughout the 2024-25 season across its sports.
• The first season that varsity letters were distributed to Husker women’s athletes was 1975-76.
• The first partial season for women’s basketball came with a 16-game schedule under Coach Jan Callahan in 1974-75, before the first women’s basketball players earned varsity letters in 1975-76.
• Nebraska women’s basketball has advanced to 16 NCAA tournaments. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament did not exist until 1982. It was a 32-team field.
• Nebraska women’s basketball has won conference titles in the Big Ten (tournament, 2014), Big 12 (regular season, 2010) and Big Eight (regular season, 1988).
• Husker women’s basketball players have claimed 14 All-America awards, including Wade Trophy winner and first-team All-American Karen Jennings (1993), Senior CLASS Award winner and first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin (2010) and first-team All-American Jordan Hooper (2014). Nebraska’s other All-Americans include Lindsey Moore, Rachel Theriot, Kiera Hardy, Nicole Kubik, Anna DeForge and Amy Stephens.
• Eight Husker women’s basketball players have earned Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators, led by three-time first-team Academic All-American and two-time Academic All-American of the Year Karen Jennings, who was the first Husker female athlete inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2008.
• A total of 38 Huskers have scored 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers.
• A total of 247 Nebraska women’s basketball players have earned varsity letters.
Husker Numbers to Watch
• Alexis Markowski (41) owns the top spot on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list, one more than first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (40, 2011-14).
• Alexis Markowski (1,377) ranks No. 16 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list. She is 56 points away from No. 15 Diane DelVigna (1979-80) with 1,433 points.
• Alexis Markowski (967) needs 33 rebounds to become the sixth player in Nebraska women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career boards. Janet Smith (1,280, 1979-82), Emily Cady (1,114, 2012-15), Jordan Hooper (1,110, 2011-14), Kelsey Griffin (1,019, 2006-10) and Karen Jennings (1,000, 1990-93) own the top five rebounding marks in school history. Only two Husker men’s basketball players have achieved 1,000 rebounds, led by Venson Hamilton’s 1,080 (1996-99) and Aleks Maric’s 1,015 (2005-08).
• Entering the 2024-25 season, only 27 players in Big Ten history had reached 1,000 career rebounds. Kendall Bostic (Illinois) is the active Big Ten leader with 1,058 career boards, including 994 over her past three seasons at Illinois and 64 as a true freshman at Michigan State (2020-21).
• Only seven players in Big Ten history have totaled 1,200 or more career rebounds, led by Iowa’s Megan Gustafson (1,460, 2016-19).
• Kendall Moriarty (99) will play her 100th collegiate game on Saturday vs. SLU.
• Natalie Potts (199) needs one rebound to reach 200 in her Husker career.
2023 - 7,065 (attendance) / 3,300 (students/staff - 62 schools) vs. Northwestern State
2022 - 6,233 (attendance) / 2,500 (students/staff - 40 schools) vs. Omaha
2021 - 4,476 (attendance) / 1,600 (students/staff - 30 schools) vs. Maine
2019 - 5,250 (attendance) / 2,000 (students/staff - 27 schools) vs. Alabama A&M
2013 - 9,750 (attendance) / 4,000 (students/staff - 45 schools) vs. UCLA
Huskers Ranked No. 23 in Preseason Polls
• Nebraska opened the 2024-25 season at No. 23 in both the Associated Press Poll released on Tuesday, Oct. 15 and the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 announced on Thursday, Oct. 24.
• The Huskers are coming off a trip to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The Big Red, which finished with a 23-12 record a year ago that included an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark, returns first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) and Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts (O’Fallon, Mo.), along with Big Ten All-Freshman selection Logan Nissley (Bismarck, N.D.).
• Returning starters Kendall Moriarty (Wheaton, Ill.) and Callin Hake (Victoria, Minn.) are also back, along with contributors Kendall Coley (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Jessica Petrie (Gold Coast, Australia).
• Nebraska is bolstered by the return of redshirt junior guard Allison Weidner (Humphrey, Neb.), who missed last season with an injury. The Huskers look forward to showcasing two-time Nebraska High School Player-of-the-Year Britt Prince (Elkhorn, Neb.), one of the nation’s top recruits, alongside fellow freshmen Amiah Hargrove (Christopher, Ill.), Petra Bozan (Split, Croatia) and Kennadi Williams (Lincoln, Neb.) as well as senior transfer Alberte Rimdal (Koge, Denmark).
• The 2024-25 season marks the second time in the past three years that Nebraska has opened in the AP Top 25. In 2022-23, the Huskers began the season at No. 22 in the AP Poll.
• The Huskers are one of six Big Ten Conference teams ranked in the preseason polls, joining No. 3/3 USC, No. 5/6 UCLA, No. 14/14 Ohio State, No. 18/18 Maryland and No. 25/24 Indiana. Iowa (26/30) led the next group of Big Ten teams receiving votes, while Illinois (29/37), and Michigan State (AP 31) give the Big Ten nine teams among the top 32 nationally in the polls. Michigan (T48 USA) also received one vote in the coaches poll.
• Defending national champion South Carolina earned the No. 1 spot in both polls, while UConn starts the season at No. 2 in both national rankings.
• Last season, Nebraska finished No. 25 in the final NCAA NET rankings.
Huskers Win Women’s Four-Sport Attendance
• Nebraska was the top draw in NCAA Division I women’s team sports in 2023-24, attracting a nation-leading 418,198 total fans to women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball home games.
• Nebraska’s four-sport total was 19,090 more than South Carolina’s 399,108, while LSU finished third with 328,380 fans across the same four sports.
• Iowa finished fourth with 280,773 to rank second in the Big Ten - nearly 138,000 fans behind the Huskers, while Texas ranked fifth nationally with 270,757.
• Nebraska was the only school in the country to rank in the top 15 nationally in average home attendance in all four major women’s team sports in 2023-24, including No. 1 in volleyball (264,665), No. 10 in softball (38,919), No. 15 in women’s basketball (97,411) and No. 15 in soccer (17,203).
• Overall, Nebraska ranked third nationally in seven-sport attendance (football, men’s basketball, baseball) with a school-record 1.49 million fans attending Husker home events in 2023-24. Only LSU and Tennessee attracted more fans than the Big Red.
Huskers Celebrate 50 Years of Women’s Sports
• Nebraska Athletics will be celebrating 50 years of women’s varsity athletics throughout the 2024-25 season across its sports.
• The first season that varsity letters were distributed to Husker women’s athletes was 1975-76.
• The first partial season for women’s basketball came with a 16-game schedule under Coach Jan Callahan in 1974-75, before the first women’s basketball players earned varsity letters in 1975-76.
• Nebraska women’s basketball has advanced to 16 NCAA tournaments. The NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament did not exist until 1982. It was a 32-team field.
• Nebraska women’s basketball has won conference titles in the Big Ten (tournament, 2014), Big 12 (regular season, 2010) and Big Eight (regular season, 1988).
• Husker women’s basketball players have claimed 14 All-America awards, including Wade Trophy winner and first-team All-American Karen Jennings (1993), Senior CLASS Award winner and first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin (2010) and first-team All-American Jordan Hooper (2014). Nebraska’s other All-Americans include Lindsey Moore, Rachel Theriot, Kiera Hardy, Nicole Kubik, Anna DeForge and Amy Stephens.
• Eight Husker women’s basketball players have earned Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators, led by three-time first-team Academic All-American and two-time Academic All-American of the Year Karen Jennings, who was the first Husker female athlete inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2008.
• A total of 38 Huskers have scored 1,000 points in their women’s basketball careers.
• A total of 247 Nebraska women’s basketball players have earned varsity letters.
Husker Numbers to Watch
• Alexis Markowski (41) owns the top spot on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list, one more than first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (40, 2011-14).
• Alexis Markowski (1,377) ranks No. 16 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list. She is 56 points away from No. 15 Diane DelVigna (1979-80) with 1,433 points.
• Alexis Markowski (967) needs 33 rebounds to become the sixth player in Nebraska women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career boards. Janet Smith (1,280, 1979-82), Emily Cady (1,114, 2012-15), Jordan Hooper (1,110, 2011-14), Kelsey Griffin (1,019, 2006-10) and Karen Jennings (1,000, 1990-93) own the top five rebounding marks in school history. Only two Husker men’s basketball players have achieved 1,000 rebounds, led by Venson Hamilton’s 1,080 (1996-99) and Aleks Maric’s 1,015 (2005-08).
• Entering the 2024-25 season, only 27 players in Big Ten history had reached 1,000 career rebounds. Kendall Bostic (Illinois) is the active Big Ten leader with 1,058 career boards, including 994 over her past three seasons at Illinois and 64 as a true freshman at Michigan State (2020-21).
• Only seven players in Big Ten history have totaled 1,200 or more career rebounds, led by Iowa’s Megan Gustafson (1,460, 2016-19).
• Kendall Moriarty (99) will play her 100th collegiate game on Saturday vs. SLU.
• Natalie Potts (199) needs one rebound to reach 200 in her Husker career.