Green Bay Phoenix 2021-22 Women’s Season Preview

October 19, 2021

766

Green Bay looks to return to the top of the Horizon League

After years of dominating the Horizon League, Green Bay has now gone without a conference championship for three straight seasons. The Green Bay program has seen loads of success over the years, and while the goal is always the NCAA tournament, Green Bay has not been to the Big Dance since 2018. The loss of leading scorer Caitlyn Hibner will hurt, and Kevin Borseth will need to find a solution for an offense that struggled with consistency the past few seasons.

That being said, the Phoenix has several players who have shown some really great potential. Green Bay has never been a one-woman show, and collectively, if they can get a step-up in contributions from each position, they could prove to be a difficult team to beat this winter.

Newcomers

Callie Genke – Genke comes to Green Bay from nearby Freedom High School where she led her team to a 25-2 finish in her senior season. The 6-foot guard averaged 16.4 points per game, converting on nearly 50% of her three point attempts.

Bailey Butler – Kevin Borseth snagged another in-state recruit from small-town powerhouse Black Hawk High School in South Wayne, Wisconsin in Bailey Butler. Black Hawk qualified for the state tournament in all four seasons that Butler was there. She averaged 28.3 points per game in her senior season.

Maddy Schreiber – Schreiber comes to Green Bay from Kimberly, Wisconsin where in her senior season she led her team to a 25-2 record and one win short of the state tournament. The 6-foot guard averaged 19.5 points per game that year, and comes to Kimberly.

Jenna Guyer – Guyer joins the Phoenix from Centennial High School in Minnesota. She is one of just two Green Bay players from outside the state of Wisconsin. The 6-foot 2-inch forward will add some size to the Phoenix squad and could contribute to the lineup with her versatility.

Lineup

Meghan Pingel – Pingel returns for her super senior year thanks to the extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Borseth will need Pingel to lead Green Bay on both ends of the floor. The point guard led the Phoenix in both assists and steals last season, and will look to once again provide stability and leadership for this Phoenix squad.

Hailey Oskey – Oskey enters the season as Green Bay’s second-highest returning scorer, after a 2020-2021 season where she averaged 7.9 points per game. She started in all 16 games in which she played in and will play a vital role for Phoenix once again.

Sydney Levy – The Milwaukee transfer will be in her second year with Green Bay in 2021-2022. Levy can light it up from anywhere on the floor, and is the top returning scorer for the Phoenix after averaging 9.3 points per game last season.

Cassie Schiltz – Schiltz appeared in every game for the Phoenix last year and averaged 6.8 points per game. Green Bay will need Schiltz to take the next step offensively to help replace the offensive output that was lost from a season ago.

Julia Hartwig – Hartwig provided a spark off the bench for Green Bay last season. She provides a good inside presence for the Phoenix and gives Borseth another option down low. Hartwig will have the opportunity to earn more minutes and play a larger role this year.

Brooklyn Blackburn – Blackburn is another player on the Phoenix roster that has shown bright spots for her future. She averaged 3.2 points per game last year after redshirting in 2019-2020, and will look to build upon last year’s contributions.

Caelan Givens – Givens will have an opportunity to prove herself this year after an injury kept her out of the 2020-2021 season. The 5-foot 10-inch guard from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin could be a valuable addition to the lineup.

Ellie Foster – Serving as the primary back-up to Pingel last year, Borseth may look for Foster to have a larger role with the Phoenix this season to help lessen the load on Pingel. Foster’s instinct and athleticism give her the ability to be extremely valuable on both ends of the floor for Green Bay. Look for Foster to take strides in the 2021-2022 season.

Kendall Renard – After getting limited playing time last season, Renard looks to crack the rotation for the Phoenix in 2021-2022. Borseth has spoken very highly of the hometown product, and Renard’s 6-foot 3-inch frame could be a nice addition to the lineup on both ends of the floor for Green Bay.

Jasmine Kondrakiewicz – Last season, Kondrakiewicz became the first true freshman to start a regular season game for Green Bay since the 2013-2014 season. She showed some very bright spots in her first year with the Phoenix, and looks to build upon a solid freshman year where she averaged 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Outlook

Between the losses of Caitlyn Hibner and Lyndsey Robson, Borseth will need to replace over 38% of his team’s scoring output from a season ago. In order to improve upon last year’s third place finish and disappointing exit in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League tournament, the Phoenix will need to find an identity and a consistency on offense to supplement their normally-solid defense.