SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women's basketball team, ranked No. 11 in D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 poll, is ready to kick off its highly anticipated 2024-25 campaign Saturday at the UW-Eau Claire Tip-Off Tournament. Following a disappointing first-round exit in last year's national tournament, the team, returning a historical group of starters, is ready to get the ball rolling with high expectations for the season. 

"There's some bitterness with our returners that they didn't accomplish all they set out to do last season," said Head Coach Laurie Kelly, in her 13th season leading the program. "With so much experience, sometimes you can get complacent and forget how hard it was to win that first championship. This group of upperclassmen doesn't feel that way. While they're proud of all they've accomplished, they feel that they've come up short, and that's a great attitude to have going into our season. Our fifth-years and seniors have been so influential in our program, on and off the court, but they have determination to go farther than they ever have this year."

Kelly is acutely aware of the novelty of her team, which returns the first group of players in MIAC history to receive five All-Conference honors. The top six is about as set as it can be, as the talented squad will look to Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.), Izzy Quick (5th, Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.), Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.), Morgan Kelly (Sr., Saint Peter, Minn.), and Rachel Kawiecki (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) to lead the program to its fifth MIAC Regular Season Championship and third in a row. 

"It's a really unique situation. In all my years of coaching, I've never had an entire group of players graduating that's in the starting line-up, and I probably never will again. This will be the first team in program and MIAC history to have five returning All-Conference players. It's really great, but also, the reality is, we have to think about the future of our program, and we are so fortunate to have those six players mentor and lead our younger group and pass on what they've learned."

Last season, Hauger earned All-America Honorable Mention honors after emerging as one of Division III's most lethal shooters, finishing the season 64.2 percent from the field, a mark that ranks second in program history and would have put her third in the nation had she met the qualifying standard. Kniefel, meanwhile, was selected to the D3hoops.com All-Region Team and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Quick, Baranick, and Kawiecki rounded out the All-Conference honors for the top-five starters, while Kelly proved herself to be the unofficial Sixth Player of the Year (the MIAC discontinued the award in 2022). Their efforts led the Gusties to a 25-3 record and 19-1 mark in the conference, as well as their third consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship.

After her starters, Coach Kelly is eager to build the next great Gustavus women's basketball line-up, looking to players like Ella Peters (So., River Falls, Wis.), Kendyl Queensland (So., Grand Meadow, Minn.), and Emily Bowron (So., Rochester, Minn.) to make an impact in their sophomore seasons.

"While we know who our starters are, we're really looking to players like them to be that next group and provide us that depth down the stretch. Day after day at practice, our younger players compete with the best athletes in the league. It helps them grow and develop, and we're looking forward to seeing how they can step up early in our season."

The team saw its highest-ever national ranking in program history last season, and begins the season at No. 11 in the nation. The Gusties are the only MIAC team featured in the top 25 poll, while Concordia, who has emerged as the team's biggest rival in recent years, received votes in the polling. Kelly and the Gusties thrive under the pressure, though, using it as a driving force to stay grounded throughout the season. 

"We for sure have a target on our back. After you've won more than once championship in a row, everyone starts to chase you. We have to have a different mentality. Rankings are rankings. I care more about where we are at the end than the beginning, but it's great to be recognized. We want to be that team that's in the hunt and talked about on a national level. But once tip-off happens, it's a 40 minute game, and anyone can beat you on any night, and that's the attitude we have to carry."

Changes in the MIAC's basketball scheduling has allowed Kelly and the Gusties to create a challenging non-conference schedule, playing four WIAC teams in their first three weeks, including No. 13 UW-Stout, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last season. 

"We have a tough non-conference schedule. It's fitting for where we want to be with the experience we have on our team. Stout is a Sweet 16 team, you're going to their gym, on the road, and those are tough games, but they're the kind you need to play to hopefully be ready for something at the next level in tournament play."

One of the biggest changes for the Gusties and Kelly will be the absence of Dan Wolfe on the bench, who has been a staple of the program since 2008. Wolfe retired after 16 seasons at Gustavus at the end of last year.

"He's been an integral part of the women's basketball program since before I got here, and there is a piece missing without him. We miss him dearly, but each of us takes a piece of what he did and what he brought to our team the best we can. Angie Potts ('04 HOF '19) has been a great addition to our staff, and 'Flo' [Kelsey Letourneau '13] has been so key to the success of our program. I'm sure he'll be a signature person in the stands, and will always stay involved with the program because he loves Gustavus so much."

The Gusties begin their season against UW-La Crosse on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Eau Claire, before facing the host Blugolds on Sunday night. 

RECORD WATCH

The 2024-25 Gustavus women's basketball team has the chance to surpass a number of school and conference records. Here's a preview of just a few records the Gusties are hunting this season:

1K MAGIC

Emma Kniefel is eight points away from joining the 1,000 point club, which features just 13 players in the program's rich history, including now-assistant coach Angie Potts. She's averaged just over 320 points per season in the last three years, and maintaining that average would put her behind Potts for the eighth-most career points in program history.

DISHING OUT THE ASSISTS

Kylie Baranick currently ranks 10th in program history with 271 assists. She dished out 103 last season and 112 the year before. Another 100-assist season would put her in the program's top-five standing.

SURE AS SHOOTING

Hauger, Quick, and Kawiecki each posted a top-10 field goal percentage last season, all shooting above 57 percent. If they are able to maintain their marks this season, the three could write their names in the MIAC women's basketball record book, as the threshold for career shooting percentage is 57.0. 

100 GRAND

Kniefel (91), Hauger (89), Kawiecki (83), Baranick (82), and Kelly (79) could all reach the 100-game milestone during the regular season, with 25 contests scheduled for the year. 23 games would make Kniefel the program's all-time leader, surpassing Justine Lee '19, who played in 113 for the Gusties from 2015-19.

BACK FOR FOUR

Gustavus could become just the third institution to claim four consecutive MIAC Playoff Championships, a feat that has been accomplished only by St. Thomas and Carleton. The tournament began in 2001, with the Tommies collecting a record eight in a row from 2012-19, while the Knights won consecutively from 2001-04.

BY THE HUNDREDS

The program is nearing its 600th MIAC win, with an all-time conference record of 591-290 through 55 seasons.