Whether you’re a fan of the Green Bay Phoenix women’s basketball team or not, it’s no secret that the program is in rarefied air. For one, Green Bay is one of just three programs that has not had an outgoing transfer over the last three years. Then you take the on court results: the Phoenix are looking for a 4th straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. While it’s not quite the run the program had pre-2018 yet, head coach Kayla Karius says the program’s reputation continues to grow. “It’s a privilege to have people talking about your team in the preseason and talking about high expectations.”
Once again, Green Bay has a loaded nonconference schedule that Karius says will help the team prepare for both the gritty Horizon League schedule and, ideally, another NCAA Tournament appearance. The team will start the season against the reigning ACC Champions and Elite 8 participant Duke Blue Devils. The team will also travel to Salt Lake City for a matchup against Big 12 foe Utah. Phoenix fans shouldn’t feel too left out–both teams will come to the Kress Center next year. This year, though, a pair of Power 4 schools come to Titletown: both the Texas Longhorns of the SEC, and Wisconsin.
Expectations are going to be high for Green Bay. You’ll be hard pressed to find an outlet, Horizone Roundtable included, that doesn’t pick the Phoenix to win the league. While that won’t shock anyone, it does come with a unique challenge that Karius says is hard to explain to people outside the program. “Sometimes that’s really hard to deal with because you’re going to get everybody’s best game. Everybody’s going to make shots against you. Everybody’s going to make big plays against you. Everybody’s going to have their biggest home crowd against you. And that’s not as easy or as fun to deal with all the time. So that’s where the returners really come into play. I think players leading players is what we do.”
Returning players
Meghan Schultz, Redshirt Junior, 6-4, F/C, Waukesha, WI, New Berlin West
There might not be a player who took a bigger step from year one to year two than Meghan Schultz. Last year, Schultz was a welcome surprise. This year, she will have plenty of expectations. Schultz finds herself looking to build on her All-League Third Team nod, when she finished the season averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Kristina Ouimette, Sophomore, 6-1, G/F Minocqua, WI, Lakeland Union
The sharpshooting sophomore returns after a freshman campaign that saw her come off the bench as an offensive spark plug. Ouimette shot 38% from behind the arc, including a career high 18 point performance where she went 6 of 13 from deep against Cleveland State. Coach Karius pointed to her growth coming into year two as a player ready to take a massive leap.
Maren Westin, Redshirt Junior, 5-8, G, Becker, MN, Becker
Westin returned to the Phoenix lineup on January 22nd, 2026 after missing 13 months of action from a torn ACL. Getting a “normal” offseason should only benefit Westin, a very physical “true” point guard. Her leadership and ability to create will certainly be welcome for Green Bay, who loses Kamy Peppler as the team’s primary ball handler.
Gracie Grzesk, Junior, 5-11, F, Green Bay, WI, Notre Dame Academy/ Wisconsin
After transferring from Wisconsin following her freshman season, Grzesk carved out a key role as the first player off the bench for the Phoenix. In her first year with Green Bay, Grzesk averaged 20.7 minutes per game, scoring 6.5 points per game. She did pour in a collegiate career high of 20 against NC State, and another year in Green Bay should continue to elevate her career.
Maddy Skorupski, Graduate, 5-8, G, Clarkston, MI, Clarkston High School/Michigan State/Oakland
News broke on September 23rd that Skorupski was granted an injunction for a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit against the NCAA, granting her and 96 other student athletes a fifth year of eligibility. As long as that holds, she will be a huge part of what Green Bay does. Skorupski led the team in minutes last year, and was third in scoring with 11.2 points per game. Her efforts a season ago led to an All-League Second Team nod and were instrumental to the Phoenix winning the league outright.
Incoming players
Elisa Mevius, Redshirt Senior, 5-10, G, Rendsburg, Germany/ Oregon
It’s not often a program is able to add an Olympic gold medalist. Even rarer at the mid-major level. Mevius comes to Green Bay after having missed all but two games last season with an injury while at Oregon. She averaged 6.6 points per game in her first season with the Ducks, starting in 19 games. Prior to her time with Oregon, she did spend 2 seasons at Siena, starting 61 of 62 games and tallying a career high 26 points. Additionally, she recorded the Saints’ first triple double in program history with 16 points/16 rebounds/10 assists.
Mevius recorded multiple steals in nearly every game with Siena and Oregon and was a complete player who helped lead Germany to a gold medal in 3×3 basketball in the 2024 Summer Olympics. As is often the case, she was familiar with Karius, who recruited her a bit when Mevius went into the portal leaving Siena before landing at Oregon, but it was a shared connection between René Spandauw, who coached both Karius and Mevius in Germany.
Jorey Buwalda, Senior, 6-0, F, Randolph, WI/ Milwaukee
Another former Panther makes the trip up I-43, joining Green Bay for her final season. Buwalda earned Horizon All-League Third Team honors with Milwaukee last year, leading the team with 12.1 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, she also led the team in free throw attempts and makes, shooting 78.3%, and had 23 blocked shots. The incoming senior will give Green Bay another versatile post player who can step outside and knock down the long ball.
McKenna Johnson, Junior, 5-9, G, Wilmot, WI, Wilmot Union/Minnesota/Butler
Another Wisconsin native who found their way home after stops with Minnesota and Butler, McKenna Johnson should have Phoenix fans over the moon. One of the highest ranked recruits in the state for the 2024 class, Johnson saw action in 24 games in both seasons of collegiate hoops, including six starts with Butler last year. She recorded a career high 18 points against Creighton late in the season, and is a lethal shooter from behind the arc.
Ady Ketterhagen, Freshman, G, 5-10, Oostburg, WI, Oostburg High School
Half of the twin sister combination coming into Green Bay, Ady Ketterhagen was a prolific scorer in the prep scene in Wisconsin. Scoring over 2,000 points in her career, Ady (with Riley) helped bring the Oostburg Lady Dutch back to back state championships, finishing her career as a finalist for Wisconsin’s Miss Basketball award. Ketterhagen can score from anywhere on the floor, whether driving the lane or from deep. She fits Green Bay incredibly well and is a very physical player, with a willingness to play inside as well.
Projected Starting Roster
Guard: Elisa Mevius
Guard: McKenna Johnson
Guard: Maddy Skorupski
Forward: Jorey Buwalda
Center: Meghan Schultz
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