Story by NU Athletic Communications
The Nebraska women's basketball team opens the 2024-25 season at No. 23 in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 released on Thursday, Oct. 24. The Huskers were also ranked No. 23 in the preseason AP Poll (Oct. 15).
Nebraska is coming off a trip to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The Big Red, which finished with a 23-12 record a year ago that included an 11-7 Big Ten regular-season mark, returns first-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) and Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts (O'Fallon, Mo.), along with Big Ten All-Freshman selection Logan Nissley (Bismarck, N.D.).
Returning starters Kendall Moriarty (Wheaton, Ill.) and Callin Hake (Victoria, Minn.) are also back, along with contributors Kendall Coley (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Jessica Petrie (Gold Coast, Australia).
Nebraska also hopes to be bolstered by the return of redshirt junior guard Allison Weidner (Humphrey, Neb.), who missed last season with an injury. The Huskers also look forward to showcasing two-time Nebraska High School Player-of-the-Year Britt Prince (Elkhorn, Neb.), one of the nation's top recruits, alongside fellow freshmen Amiah Hargrove (Christopher, Ill.), Petra Bozan (Split, Croatia) and Kennadi Williams (Lincoln, Neb.) as well as senior transfer Alberte Rimdal (Koge, Denmark).
The 2024-25 season marks the second time in the past three years that Nebraska has opened in the AP Top 25. In 2022-23, the Huskers began the season at No. 22 in both the AP and coaches preseason rankings.
The Huskers are one of six Big Ten Conference teams ranked in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25, joining No. 3 USC, No. 6 UCLA, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 18 Maryland and No. 24 Indiana. Iowa, Illinois and Michigan were other Big Ten teams receiving votes.
Defending national champion South Carolina earned the No. 1 spot in the poll, while UConn starts the season at No. 2.
Last season, Nebraska finished No. 25 in the final NCAA NET rankings.
The Huskers open exhibition play by taking on Doane University on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Tickets are available now at Huskers.com.