MADISON, Wis.- The defending WIAC champion UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team was picked to finish atop the league for the second consecutive year when the 2024-25 season preview completed by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors was released on Friday (Nov. 1).
 
The Titans (24-6, 12-2 WIAC last season) secured the 15th championship in program history a year ago and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second time in three seasons. UW-Oshkosh is ranked eighth in the D3hoops.com preseason poll and brings back four starters, headlined by two-time All-WIAC First Team honoree Kayce Vaile (Fifth • Greendale).
 
Last season's WIAC Tournament champion, UW-Stout (23-8, 8-6 WIAC) was picked to take second, UW-Whitewater (25-5, 11-3 WIAC) third, UW-Platteville (14-12, 7-7 WIAC) fourth, UW-La Crosse (13-14, 5-9 WIAC) fifth, UW-River Falls (14-12, 5-9 WIAC) sixth, UW-Eau Claire (10-15, 4-10 WIAC) seventh, and UW-Stevens Point (15-10, 4-10 WIAC) eighth.
 
UW-Oshkosh head coach Brad Fischer, who enters the 2024-25 campaign with an overall coaching record of 160-71 in 12 seasons, the highest winning total in program history and the sixth most in WIAC history, returns four starters including Vaile. Vaile, a 2024 D3hoops.com All-Region Nine Third Team and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention member, started all 30 of the Titans' games in 2023-24, averaging 10.5 points and 82. Rebounds per game. She shot 51.4 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three, and 70.8 percent from the line while totaling a team-high 44 blocks. She also recorded 53 steals and 28 assists.
 
The Titans' second 30-game starter, Sarah Hardwick (Jr. • Green Bay) returns as a 2023 All-WIAC Honorable Mention and member of the 2024 All-Defensive Team. She ranked third on the team with 4.4 rebounds, 53 assists, 31 steals, and 11 blocks in 2023-24. Bridget Froehlke (Sr. • Wrightstown), a 2024 league honorable mention, made a WIAC-best 2.7 3-pointers per game (81 total) and ranked third with a 37.5 shooting percentage from beyond the arc in 30 games with 21 starts. She also owned the second-highest free throw percentage (86.4) and blocks (19) for Oshkosh. UW-Oshkosh's fourth returning starter is Avery Poole (Jr. • Cottage Grove), who shot 41.9 percent form three and 81.8 percent from the line.
 
Kate Huml (Jr. • Janesville), Allison Forney (Fifth • Batavia, Ill.), Mallory Lindsey (Jr. • Mineral Point), and Mallory Hoitink (So. • Hartford) also averaged at least 10 minutes per game last season.
 
As a team, the Titans ranked second in Division III with a 78.2 free throw percentage, 13th by allowing just 50.6 points per game, and 14th with a 34.4 3-point percentage while leading the league in all three categories as well as bench points per game (25.8), opponent field goal percentage (36.9), fouls per game (13.7), scoring margin (+15.5), steals per game (9.5), and turnover margin (+5.23).
 
The Blue Devils return all five starters, the Eagles, Pioneers, and Warhawks return four, the Falcons and Pointers return three, and the Blugolds return two.
 
UW-Oshkosh kicks off the 2024-25 season at the Loras College (Iowa) Tip-Off Classic on Friday, Nov. 8. The team faces Coe College (Iowa) on Friday and play the host Duhawks on Saturday (Nov. 9). After playing the University of Dubuque (Iowa) and Wisconsin Lutheran College in the Wisconsin Lutheran Paul F. Knueppel Classic on Nov. 15-16, the Titans host Central College (Iowa) and Wheaton College (Ill.) for the UW-Oshkosh Classic on Nov. 22-23. They will also host the Titan Classic and Winter Classic before beginning their WIAC schedule against UW-Stout at home on Jan. 4. Over the course of the season, Oshkosh will face five teams that received votes in the D3hoops.com preseason poll and five that competed in the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship.