A busy week rolled on for the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team Friday.Coach Lisa Stone's contract was not extended past its current end date of May 31, 2011 by the UW Athletic Board. Stone seemed well aware that her bosses were expecting more Thursday when she announced the hiring of assistant Kathi Bennett."It's time to climb, and we're ready to do it," Stone said. "I've got a very thirsty team. I've got a very eager staff."Stone then filled out her staff Friday with the hiring of assistant Oties Epps.Epps (whose first name is pronounced o-teece) was an assistant at Cleveland State under former UW assistant Kate Peterson Abiad for the past four seasons.Before that, Epps was an assistant men's coach at UW-Stout. He played at Mount Senario College in Ladysmith, which shut down in 2002.Epps will work with UW's guards, and assist in recruiting, scouting and player development.Epps' hiring was pretty much done Thursday, but the completion of paperwork caused the one-day... >>MORE

More on the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team's hiring of Kathi Bennett as an assistant coach:- Her year-by-year record as a head coach1988-89 Teikyo Marycrest 18-101989-90 UW-Oshkosh 17-71990-91 UW-Oshkosh 21-51991-92 UW-Oshkosh 18-61992-93 UW-Oshkosh 16-81993-94 UW-Oshkosh 24-31994-95 UW-Oshkosh 28-31995-96 UW-Oshkosh 31-01996-97 Evansville 3-231997-98 Evansville 6-201998-99 Evansville 19-111999-00 Evansville 23-72000-01 Indiana 20-112001-02 Indiana 17-142002-03 Indiana 13-152003-04 Indiana 12-172004-05 Indiana 10-18Overall record of 296-177 for a winning percentage of .628.- Bennett's first two seasons at Indiana were clearly her best. She talked Thursday... >>MORE

The University of Wisconsin women's basketball team hasn't released its schedule for next season yet, but it will include a trip to the Virgin Islands.The Badgers will play in the Paradise Jam tournament in St. Thomas Nov. 27-29, organizers announced Saturday.UW will compete in the tournament's Island division - the event has two divisions - with games against Villanova, Central Florida and Baylor.Villanova, of course, knocked the Badgers out of last season's Women's National Invitation Tournament in the second round.Baylor, which won the national title in 2005, has made the NCAA tournament eight straight years. The Lady Bears lost in the second round to Pittsburgh last season.Central Florida is the only team in either bracket that did not play in the postseason last... >>MORE

The University of Wisconsin volleyball team released its 2008 schedule Wednesday, and nine teams that made the NCAA tournament are on the slate.The Badgers open up the season Aug. 29-30 at the Kentucky Classic in Lexington, Ky., by facing Western Carolina, Pittsburgh and Kentucky.After traveling to Las Vegas for the UNLV Invitational the following weekend, UW returns to Madison to host the InnTowner Invitational Sept. 12-13.The Badgers open Big Ten Conference play at Iowa Sept. 26. Their Big Ten home opener is Oct. 3 against Michigan."This is a schedule that provides us with a wide variety of levels, styles of play and strong opponents," UW coach Pete Waite said in a press release. "With eight of the teams earning 20-or-more wins last season we know we're up against programs that know how to win. Nine NCAA tournament teams and five who were ranked or received votes in the final coaches' poll will give us some great opportunities to challenge our players from the beginning of the season to the end."For the full schedule,... >>MORE

The University of Wisconsin women's basketball team now has two holes to fill on its staff.Defensive coordinator Tasha McDowell was introduced as the head coach at Western Michigan Saturday afternoon, less than a week after fellow assistant Donna Freitag announced her retirement.McDowell had been a finalist for the job at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, takes over a Broncos program that went 13-19 last season and 9-7 in the Mid-American Conference's Western Division.She replaces Ron Stewart, whose contract was not renewed after the season.McDowell had been an assistant at UW since 2005.Here's a link to a story from the Kalamazoo Gazette on McDowell's hiring.... >>MORE

In a shocking bit of news, Jolene Anderson was named the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team's Most Valuable Player at the team's awards banquet Sunday.Anderson led the Badgers in points (19.9 per game), rebounds (7.7), assists (3.7) and steals (1.7).Ivana Mijalcevic, a reserve forward, was given UW's Team Unity award, while Anderson received the T.J. Flarup Media award - named after UW athletic communications women's basketball contact Tam Flarup and given to the player deemed best to work with by media members who cover the team.Janese Banks got the Community Service award, and seven players (Banks, Caitlin Gibson, Annie Crangle, Rae Lin D'Alie, Teah Gant, Brittany Heins and Sarah Ingison) were recognized for earning Academic All-Big Ten Conference... >>MORE

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville athletic director Brad Hewitt announced today that University of Wisconsin assistant Tasha McDowell is one of three finalists for the school's women's basketball head coaching position.McDowell is scheduled to interview next week, as will the other finalists — Bowling Green assistant Brandi Poole and Nevada assistant Amanda Levens.McDowell has been an assistant at UW since 2005, and serves as the team's defensive coordinator.Before that, McDowell was an assistant at UC-Santa Barbara (2001-05), Bradley (2000-01), Dayton (1998-2000) and St. Ambrose (1997-98). She is a native of Rock Island, Ill., and began her playing career at Illinois Central College before transferring to Southwest Missouri State and then St. Ambrose.... >>MORE

A few more notes on former University of Wisconsin star Jolene Anderson and her new team, the WNBA's Connecticut Sun:- The Sun started off last season 6-10, but recovered to finish 18-16 and third in the Eastern Conference. They lost to Indiana in the first round of the playoffs.- Connecticut entered Wednesday's draft in need of help on the perimeter. They traded leading scorer Katie Douglas, a swingman who averaged 17 points per game. Nykesha Sales, another guard-forward, is sitting out this season after an injury-plagued 2007. Those two losses open up a lot of minutes, and Anderson could potentially be the beneficiary.- Also, Margo Dydek, the team's 7-foot-2 (yes, you read that correctly) center, is not playing this season because she's pregnant. I wonder how big that kid's going to be.-  Former Minnesota standout Lindsay Whalen starts at point guard, and averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season.- In addition to Anderson, the Sun picked Middle Tennessee State forward Amber Holt (first round, ninth overall),... >>MORE

Former University of Wisconsin standout Jolene Anderson was chosen by the Connecticut Sun in the second round of the WNBA draft Wednesday afternoon.Anderson was the 23rd overall pick, and the Sun's third choice. Connecticut picked Middle Tennessee State's Amber Holt (ninth) and Connecticut's Ketia Swanier (12th) in the first round.As expected, the Los Angeles Sparks picked Tennessee forward Candace Parker with the No. 1 pick and the Chicago Sky selected Louisiana State center Sylvia Fowles... >>MORE