By Krissy Birdsall (@KrissyBirdsall) & Vince Hesprich (@VinceHesprich)

Wisconsin's Ronnie Porter drives to the basket against Georgetown (photo by Krissy Birdsall)

MADISON, Wis — The Wisconsin Women's basketball team start the season 2-0 for the second straight season, earning homestand victories against Wright State (0-2) and Georgetown (1-1). 

With college basketball kicking off around the country starting Monday, November 4th, the Badgers got off to a hot start, dominating in their first two tests of the season.

“The ball really felt like everybody had a hand in what we did today,” junior forward Serah Williams said after Wisconsin's win over Georgetown Sunday. “I think it's a testament to all the work we've done this preseason. We're very connected so I think this is really exciting for us going forward.”

Wisconsin currently has three players averaging double-digit points per game through two games played: Serah Williams (23), Ronnie Porter (22.5) and Tess Myers (13) all got off to hot starts in the first week of action for college basketball. 

“I want them to understand that we're better together, and we've got to make sure that no matter what's happening around us, the five people around the court have to be connected,” Wisconsin head coach Marisa Moseley said about the team following Wisconsin's win over Georgetown. “We're by no means peaking, but I think these are the games you really want to work out any of those kinks.”

Below dives into Wisconsin's first two matches of the season, and looks into next week's competition against South Dakota State and Milwaukee:

Wisconsin opens 2024-25 season with record-breaking win against Wright State

The Badgers opened their season with a dominant 95-68 win over Wright State Tuesday, November 5th at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin's 95 points was their most points in a season opener in program history.

The Badgers jumped to a 19-9 lead in the first quarter, led by Serah Williams who scored the Badgers' first six points of the contest. The Badgers continued to hold onto the lead throughout the match, only trailing once to the Raiders early in the first quarter.

Wisconsin's offense continued to excel as the Badgers went on a 12-5 run in the second quarter and  7-0 run in the third quarter. The cardinal and white combined for 30 points in the third quarter which was the fourth most points in a quarter in program history.

The Badgers were able to get it done on both sides of the court, out-rebounding the Raiders 52-38 and winning the turnover battle 7-13. Wisconsin's seven turnovers were the fewest since 2022. The Badgers also totaled 11 steals in the matchup and scored 21 fast-breaks points in the contest.

Wisconsin was led by Serah Williams, who posted 29 points and 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Ronnie Porter (19 points, 6 rebounds) and Tess Myers (12 points) rounded out the Badger's double-digit scorers. Graduate senior Halle Douglass (11 rebounds, eight points) also played a key role for Wisconsin in the victory.

Wisconsin excels in fourth quarter to take down Hoyas 79-61

An already encouraging week for Wisconsin turned into an excellent one Sunday evening when a badger fourth-quarter outburst gave the Badgers a 79-61 win over a Georgetown squad that played in the WBIT tournament last year.

The Badgers' perimeter defense was exposed in the first half by Georgetown who would shoot 14-29 in the first half including 4-8 from deep. Much of that production came from standout Senior Kelsey Ransom who would ultimately rack up 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals while anchoring her squad on both ends of the floor.

Despite their defensive struggles, Wisconsin entered the second-half down one and kept pace with the Goyas in the third with neither team gaining a lead of more than one possession throughout the quarter. That changed with one-second left in the quarter when Ronnie Porter hit a turnaround  jumper to cap off a 7-0 third-quarter Wisconsin run that gave Wisconsin a 50-54 lead. 

That small run transformed into a marathon as Wisconsin embarked on an additional 23-6 run that would turn what was largely a close contest into an 18-point blowout victory. That run came largely due to energy as a frenetic Badger team made nine of their last 11 shots while the Hoyas Made just one of their final eight field goals.

“I felt like I saw them on the ropes. They were tired,” Wisconsin head coach Marisa Moseley said after the game. “I told them right now we got to go and the fact that we have this depth and we could rotate players in who could make plays in different ways, I think that really helped us open it up.”

Wisconsin's ability to have fresh legs in clutch time was largely due to the increased depth the Badgers added going into this season. Wisconsin struggled mightily when Williams was on the bench last year, but against Georgetown it was Williams' replacement who helped Wisconsin pull away. 

Wisconsin was down 46-44 with 4:30 left in the third when transfer Carter McCray replaced Williams and immediately scored the next seven Badger points in what was eventually a nine-point five-rebound third quarter for the sophomore. Despite emphasizing that the win vs Georgetown was a team effort, Moseley was also quick to credit the reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year for her crucial stretch.

“The ball has kind of been in and out, you know, she's been close on little bunnies, and I think that that's kind of messed with her a little bit,” Moseley said. “And so I just told her, like, ‘you're a bad, you know what.' Just go out there and play your game. And for her to just really kind of answer the call and settle in, also, you know, stepping up and knocking her free throws, yeah, it was a huge momentum shifter.”

McCray finished with an impressive 11 points and 11 rebounds which, when paired with Williams' 17-point 16-board performance, made the two the first pair of Badgers to average a double-double in the same game since 2019. 

Despite the interior heroics, it was again Ronnie Porter who led the badgers on offense. Fresh off recording her career-high against Wright State, Porter accomplished the same feat by recording 26 points on 12-20 shooting to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. 

Looking ahead to week two of Wisconsin women's basketball

The Wisconsin women's basketball team faces their first road test of the season when they travel to South Dakota State (2-0) Wednesday, November 13th at 7 pm.

The Badgers faced the Jackrabbits last season at the Kohl Center, winning in buzzer-beater fashion 66-64. Both teams return their leading scorers from that contest, including Wisconsin's Ronnie Porter (17 points) and Brooke Meyer (19 points).

South Dakota State, despite numerous injuries at the beginning of last season, won the Summit League Championship and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 5 Utah 68-54 in the first round. 

Entering 2024-25, the Jackrabbits are currently 2-0 after a week of action, earning wins at Rice (65-63) and against No. 21 Creighton (76-71).

Following a trip to Brookings, South Dakota, the Badgers return home to face in-state foe Milwaukee (1-2) Sunday, November 17th at 2 pm. 

In the last game between the in-state schools on November 7, 2023, Wisconsin took an early 20-9 lead and eventually won the contest 62-51 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers were led by Serah Williams, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The Panthers are currently 1-2 after two overtime losses to St. Thomas Minnesota (84-81OT) and Butler (79-70 OT). Milwaukee's only win this season is a 74-49 victory over Division III Carroll (WI). In all three games, the Panthers were led by Wright State transfer Kacee Baumhower, who is averaging 21.3 points per game so far this season. Keep an eye out Anna Lutz (15 PPG, 8 RPG) and Kamy Peppler (12 PPG, 7 APG) as well in Sunday's matchup.

If Wisconsin can come away with two wins next week, it will mark the second straight season the program has started 4-0, a feat that hasn't been accomplished in back-to-back seasons since at least 2010.