Nebraska Women's Basketball Preview: Omaha

The No. 23 Huskers begin their new season against an in-state foe for only the fourth regular-season meeting since 1987.

Nebraska basketball guard Britt Prince (23) shoots against Doane. / Nebraska Athletics

High expectations once again follow the Nebraska Women’s Basketball team entering coach Amy Williams’ ninth season as she has helped the Huskers return to the NCAA Tournament two times in the last three seasons, including a Big Ten Championship game appearance and a first-round NCAA Tournament win. 

It’s the senior season for Lincoln native and center Alexis Markowski who returns after garnering an All-Big Ten First Team nomination after averaging career highs in both points (15.7) and rebounds (10.5) per game in helping NU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Guard Natalie Potts won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award last season and will team up with returning redshirt junior Allison Weidner, who tore her ACL last season. 

Sharp shooter and program great Jaz Shelley is a massive loss, but Williams brought in Alberte Rimdal (Florida) to boost the experience in her team. The backcourt should have plenty of depth with the return of juniors Callin Hake and Kendall Moriarty as well as sophomores Logan Nissley and Jessica Petrie. Although, the biggest addition may end up being freshman recruit Britt Prince, a five-star guard from Elkhorn North in Omaha who had all the top programs in the country drooling over her potential. She stayed home with a goal to lead the Huskers to new heights alongside another freshman guard in Kennadi Williams, the daughter of NU’s head coach. 

Nebraska was one of six Big Ten schools to be in the AP Poll preseason rankings at No. 23, marking the second time in the last three seasons the Huskers have been ranked. Coming off an 89-52 dismantling of Doane in its preseason exhibition, Nebraska sets its sights on in-state foe Omaha for its season opener Monday afternoon. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: Nebraska (0-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Omaha (0-0, 0-0 Summit) 

When: Monday, November 4

Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE

Time: 12 p.m. CST 

Watch: B1G+

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Omaha Scout

Head Coach: Carrie Banks | 5th Season | 37-72 Omaha Record | Previous assistant coaching stops at Ohio State, Northwestern, South Florida and Detroit Mercy. 

2023-’24 Record: 8-23 (3-13 Summit, 9th) | One All-Summit League Honorable Mention | Did not qualify for postseason play. 

All-Time Series: Nebraska Leads 17-9 (2022 last matchup, 100-36 NU) 

Fun Fact: Monday’s season opener will mark only the fourth regular-season meeting between the two University of Nebraska system schools since 1987. 

Key Returners: Grace Cave, Guard, Sr. | Morgann Gardner, Forward, Sr. | Katie Keitges, Guard, Gr. 

Key Additions: Aailyah Moore, Forward, Sr. (Loyola Chicago) | Lauren Perry, Guard, Jr. (Lakeland CC) | Alana Powell, Guard, Soph. (CC Baltimore County-Essex | Ja Harvey, Guard, Sr. (Fresno State) | Mar Vidal, Guard, Jr. (Felician University). 

Key Departures: Aaliyah Stanley, Guard (Eligibility) | Kennedi Grant, Guard (Transfer) | Polina Nikulochkina, Guard (Eligibility) | Deanay Watson, Guard (Eligibility). 

Feb 11, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Amy Williams against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Outlook: Head coach Carrie Banks returns for her fifth season at Omaha with a hope to lift the Mavericks off the doormat of the Summit League. A last place finish a season ago along with a 37-72 record, Banks has yet to compile consistent success, but she’s had her teams be a tough out in the postseason, putting together a 5-3 record in the conference tournament which included the Summit League title game in 2023. 

10 newcomers join the roster for Omaha, so it remains to be seen how fast this new squad will be able to gel. Weeping Water native Grace Cave is the leader of this team after being named an All-Summit League Honorable Mention last season after leading the team in scoring (12.3 PPG), assists (3.3 APG) and steals (1.5 SPG) while ranking second with 4.0 rebounds per game. 

Returning guard Katie Keitges will join Cave in the backcourt after shooting 39% from three-point land last season with Millard South grad Cora Olsen and senior post Morgann Gardner most likely getting into the starting lineup. 

Banks found one of her starting guards in the portal in Loyola Chicago transfer Aaliyah Moore. Fellow transfer guard Lauren Perry looks to translate her success at Lakeland Community College to the Division I level. She was named the Ohio CC Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-OCCAC after averaging 17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.3 steals as a sophomore. Fresno State transfer Ja Harvey averaged 8.8 points per game last season for the Bulldogs while hitting on 35% of her threes. She joins Omaha in adding to the backcourt. 

Nebraska should once again roll in its season opener against the Mavericks, who were selected to finish last in the Summit League preseason poll. You’d like to see Banks and the Mavericks get going as a program at some point, but yet again Omaha WBB hasn’t seen success in the Summit League, never finishing with a conference record above .500 while not having an overall record above .500 since the Mavericks’ 17-11 debut season in Division I back in 2013. 

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