Milwaukee Panthers WBB 2026-27 Preview

By Jack Laude, Special to the HoriZone Roundtable

The past two seasons have been a far cry from what the Milwaukee Panthers women’s basketball program was for most of the 2010s and early 2020s: a competitive team near the top of the Horizon League. Milwaukee has only garnered eight wins in each of the past two seasons, with a 5-15 Horizon League record in 2024-25, which placed them last in the conference, followed by a 4-16 ledger in 2025-26 where they finished second to last in the HL.

Last year saw Milwaukee overhaul its approach on offense, going from a primarily on-ball focused attack with a lot of actions featuring its lead guard to an offense that ran much more off-ball actions and screens to generate points. After losing key contributors, the Panthers struggled to create good looks, especially off the dribble in adjusted offense. There were too few players on the roster who could beat their opponent off the dribble and create something positive.

The Panthers are looking to switch it up again this year, now trying to play a faster brand of basketball more akin to their men’s counterparts.

“We put in a little bit of a new system… I definitely feel like we are in a better place than we were last year; I definitely feel like we’re in better shape than last year. We’re trying to implement a little bit of the (Milwaukee MBB head coach Bart) Lundy style, bring some excitement into the Klotsche Center,” said head coach Kyle Rechlicz, who will lead Milwaukee for the 15th straight year. “We feel like we finally have the athleticism to do that.”

Milwaukee will lean heavily on internal development to get back to winning ways after retaining 12 players from last year, with only three new faces.

“The thing that as a staff we’re most proud of is that we have 12 players returning; you just don’t see that nowadays, and with only one senior graduating, we have a lot of young players that are now experienced and we haven’t had that in a while,” said Rechlicz.

Despite the poor record last season, there were flashes of talent from many players on the team that could spring some optimism if they can become more consistent. The Panthers’ identity was built on defense last year, but with the three additions Milwaukee made, Rechlicz and her staff may be looking to regain an offensive identity.

Milwaukee rising from the bottom to compete in the Horizon League this year isn’t feasible, but the Panthers should hope to end up a few spots from the bottom to show some improvement from the past two seasons.

“The growth for us is just building confidence. When you had a season like we had last year where we lost a lot of close games, we really need to win some of those close games early to build confidence,” said Rechlicz.

Key Departures

Jorey Buwalda: For the second straight year, one of Milwaukee’s most productive talents transferred to in-state rival Green Bay. After 2024-25, it was lead guard Kamy Peppler, along with her sister Kallie, who transferred to the powerhouse Phoenix. After 2025-26, Buwalda made the same decision. The forward was the lone all-conference selection for Milwaukee and the most consistent presence on a largely inconsistent team. She leaves behind a big hole in the frontcourt and her team-high 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Izzy Pugh, Cece McNair and Lizzy Favret will look to plug the gap Buwalda left with her departure.

Grace Lomen: When the ball wasn’t in Buwalda’s hands last season, it was often in Grace Lomen’s. The senior averaged 10.7 points per game on sub-40% efficiency from the field and deep. Lomen had a hot-and-cold year but was able to have an intermittent 30-point game here and there. While she wasn’t the fastest or most explosive player on the roster, she was one of the few who weren’t afraid to try and create something and shoot the ball on a Panthers team that lacked many options to lean on.

Returning Players

Payton Rechlicz, 5-11, Redshirt Junior, Menomonee Falls, WI: The daughter of head coach Kyle Rechlicz comes into her redshirt junior season looking to finally become the consistent scorer that we’ve seen flashes of. Rechlicz prided herself on defense during her first couple of seasons in Milwaukee. She was expected to take a leap as a scorer and be a much-needed third option to produce alongside Buwalda and Lomen last year, but only averaged 5.3 points per game while playing a team-high 28.3 minutes per contest. Rechlicz is a very capable shooter but has lacked a bag to consistently create when needed. The Panthers could receive a huge boost if she can become more of a threat off the dribble and have the willingness to shoot more. 

Madison Fitzgibbon, 5-6, sophomore, Mequon, WI, Homestead HS: The sharpshooter had to fill in as the starting point guard on day one of her freshman season. There were ups and downs throughout the year, akin to about the entire roster in 2025-26, as she finished the year averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 assists per game. Fitzgibbon’s ability from deep at over 40% from three-point range automatically thrusts her into a key role on this team, but she could become a major contributor if she can improve her scoring inside the arc, playmaking and defense.

Jada Williams, 5-10, Redshirt Senior, Mason City, IA, Mason City HS: Jada Williams has earned her starting spot the last two years because of her defensive prowess. Whether it’s hounding ball handlers at the top of the arc while in a zone or playing stout defense on the opposing team’s most threatening post player, Williams has done it all on that side of the floor. An aspect of her game that can still take a leap is nearly everything on the offensive side of the ball. Williams averaged 3.7 points per game last year and has found occasional success as a spot-up shooter. Outside of that, she hasn’t shown much consistency. A more productive Williams would be a huge boon for a Panthers team that needs all the help it can get on that side of the ball from one of their leaders.

Izzy Pugh, 6-3, Redshirt Junior, Auckland, New Zealand, Westlake Girls: Izzy Pugh brings an exciting profile as a mobile big but is still looking for her breakout year wearing black & gold. Pugh brings a unique ability of size at 6’3 paired with good speed for a center. Pugh can knock down the occasional three-pointer and cause trouble down low, often earning trips to the free throw line. Despite her profile and talent, Pugh hasn’t been able to put everything together for a consistent stretch. She has had minor injuries the past couple of seasons and has rarely gotten the opportunity to start, but with Buwalda no longer in Milwaukee, the starting center spot is hers to lose.

Tierney Madigan, 5-10, Sophomore, Rosendale, WI, Laconia HS: The lefty slasher from Laconia comes into her sophomore year after a freshman campaign that saw promising signs. Madigan had multiple moments in conference play where she flat-out took over games. Consistency will be what Panthers fans hope for from Madigan in 2026-27.  Madigan is a player to watch for a substantial leap in year two.

Kendall Barnes, 5-7, Redshirt Sophomore, Minneapolis, MN, East Ridge HS: Even without much of a jump shot in her arsenal, Barnes was arguably the most consistent Panther at creating something positive off the dribble. Her quick burst was also helpful on defense to keep up with twitchy opposing guards. If Barnes can take another leap in her redshirt sophomore season, she could challenge Madison Fitzgibbon and Jaeda Murphy for the starting point guard spot.

Incoming Players

Nataya Donaldson, Freshman, Beaver Dam, WI, Beaver Dam HS: Anyone who has paid attention to Panthers women’s basketball in the 2020s will recognize that last name. Nataya’s sister, Jada, played for the Panthers from 2020 to 2025. While Jada’s main attributes were playmaking and defense, Nataya projects to be more of a scorer coming out of high school, after becoming Beaver Dam’s all-time scorer, rebounder and free throws made leader. Donaldson led Beaver Dam to the state championship game before falling to Whitefish Bay. Nataya should play a big role for the 2026-27 Panthers, creating and bringing scoring to a team that needs every point.

Kylie Butler, 5-7, Freshman Argyle, WI, Argyle HS: Kylie Butler brings more competition to the guard room after a highly productive four years in high school where she finished with over 2,000 points (2,185). She brings a scoring pedigree to Milwaukee and will compete with other guards such as Olivia Olson, Valerie Cassidy-De Falco, Sophia Rampulla and Rita Gomes in the rotation.

Jaeda Murphy, 5-3, Junior, Chicago, IL, Homewood-Flossmoor Community/Mississippi Valley State: In the day and age of transfers at the collegiate level, Milwaukee made only one move in the transfer portal: picking up Jaeda Murphy from Mississippi Valley State. Murphy brings much-needed experience to a young guard rotation and will play a big role in keeping the Panthers under control on offense. Murphy was Mississippi Valley State’s minutes and scoring leader last year, starting 29 games while averaging 9.3 points a tilt. Murphy should have ample opportunity to play a significant role in the guard rotation and lock down the starting PG position. 

Projected Starting Lineup

Guard – Jaeda Murphy

Guard – Nataya Donaldson

Forward – Payton Rechlicz

Forward – Jada Williams

Center – Izzy Pugh