The UMD Women’s Basketball team is all set to kick off their regular season with back-to-back games against Thomas More University Saints and University of Wisconsin Parkside Rangers. The action begins on Saturday at 5:30 PM in Hammond, IN, and continues the next day at 2:00 PM in Kenosha, WI.
After their impressive performance in the NCAA DII National Championships, the Bulldogs have secured the #8 spot in the first WBCA national rankings of the season. Additionally, they are predicted to finish second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), just 31 points behind first place Minnesota State University Mankato in the conference preseason poll.
This season, UMD’s NSIC Player to Watch is senior guard Ella Gilbertson. With her remarkable performance last season, including a game-winning three-pointer in the NCAA Central Region Championship, Gilbertson is expected to step up and fill the shoes of former Bulldog and 2022 DII Honda Athlete of the Year, Brooke Olson.
The coaching staff has also seen some changes, with former intern assistant coach Cecile Kieger taking on the lead assistant coach position and former Bulldog standout Maesyn Thiesen joining as an assistant coach.
Following their upcoming games, the Bulldogs will have a week off before their first conference matchup of the season against the #2 ranked Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks.