Year one of the Robin Pingeton era for the University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team is nearing its conclusion and regardless of the final record, there is plenty of reason for optimism about the program’s direction.
Pingeton came to Wisconsin after 15 years as head coach at the University of Missouri at a time when the program desperately needed a fresh start, and she has provided it.
With three games remaining in the regular season and a 13-13 record, the program’s growth may not be evident in the win-loss column, but this team has felt different from recent years–a testament to the work Pingeton has done in her first season.
It started in the nonconference portion of the season, when the Badgers claimed victories in two of their three contests against in-state rivals, with the lone loss coming in overtime at Marquette.
In the conference portion of the schedule, Wisconsin reached a height the program has not reached since the 2009-10 season. With wins over No. 20 Michigan State Dec. 7 and No. 24 Nebraska Jan. 21, the Badgers notched two victories over ranked opponents in the same season for the first time in more than 15 years.
In each contest, senior forward Gift Uchenna highlighted Pingeton’s eye for talent in the transfer portal, tallying 14 points and 15 rebounds against the Spartans and 22 points and 14 rebounds against the Cornhuskers.
Uchenna is one of the numerous transfers who has come up big for the Badgers in Pingeton’s inaugural season in Madison, and a glimpse of what the future may hold for Wisconsin in the transfer portal.
Beyond the wins and losses, an apparent area of growth for the program this season has been the team culture, both on and off the floor.
On the court, seven different Badgers have led the team in scoring in a game this season. Programs that consistently reach the NCAA Tournament have balanced attacks and can beat teams in a variety of ways. While Wisconsin hasn’t grown into a perennial tournament contender yet, the balance it has displayed this season is a positive sign of what’s to come.
After a handful of victories this season, as a Badgers’ standout performer is being interviewed post-game, the entire team will join the interviewee on camera, displaying a strong sense of togetherness, even when there is no time left on the clock, further emphasizing the cultural growth the program has undergone.
Looking ahead, Wisconsin has three games remaining on its schedule, including two more opportunities against ranked opponents. The Badgers will make a West Coast trip for matchups with USC and No. 2 UCLA before returning home to face No. 15 Iowa.
Postseason basketball is never guaranteed, but it can be valuable for a program’s growth, especially under a new head coach. With the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis set to feature 15 teams, Wisconsin would be included in that field if the season ended today.
At this point, the Badgers would need to win the conference tournament to earn a March Madness berth and given the strength of the Big Ten, it’s extremely unlikely that Wisconsin goes dancing in Pingeton’s first season.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the season will be over after the Big Ten Tournament. Both the Women’s National Invitational Tournament and Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament provide teams which miss the NCAA Tournament with the opportunity to play postseason basketball.
The Badgers last appeared in the WNIT in 2024, and have yet to appear in the WBIT. Accepting an invite to a postseason tournament would provide bonus opportunities to not only compete as a team a few more times in the 2025-26 season, but also continue laying the foundation for the program Pingeton aspires to build.
With multiple regular-season games and a conference tournament still to be played before an additional tournament becomes relevant, there is no telling which direction the final stretch of Wisconsin’s season will go, but after nearly a full season under Pingeton, it seems that Badger women’s basketball could be on the rise.
