Wauwatosa East head coach Mary Merg celebrates during the Red Raiders' 76-66 overtime win against Arrowhead last week. Merg guided Tosa East to the Division 2 state championship last season. (PHOTO: David Feyen)
On National Girls and Women in Sports Day, let's take a look at some of the women who have impacted high school girls basketball in Wisconsin, which is celebrating its 50th year as a WIAA-sponsored sport.
The inaugural state tournament was held in 1976 with
Madison West (Class A),
Lancaster (Class B) and
Marshall (Class C) winning titles.
Coaching the winning squads were Peggy Mueller (Madison West), Jewel Henke (Lancaster) and Cindy McVay (Marshall). Mueller, McVay and Jean Kessler, who coached Class A runner-up
Neenah in 1976 and won a state title in 1978, are all in the WBCA Hall of Fame.
Players who were on the court that historic year who are in the WBCA Hall of Fame:
Mary Henderson, Madison West
Ginny Vorwald, Bloomington
Kathy Hegerstrom, Neenah
Other Hall of Famers before the WBCA began naming a Ms. Basketball award-winner:
Jean Joppe,
Green Bay WestJackie Glosson,
Milwaukee Washington
Ann Hall,
LomiraSure Bartz, Green Bay West
Theresa Huff,
Milwaukee RiversideSue Vielberg, Oakfield
Cheryl (Orcholski) Mohr,
Milwaukee HamiltonMynette (Clark) Oliver,
Racine CaseLisa (Anderson) Stone,
OregonLaura (Coenen) Ryan, Neenah
Kris Hey,
Wauwatosa EastTeresa (Theder) Triana,
WatertownIn 1982, the WBCA named Jane (Lobenstein) Boller of
Portage Ms. Basketball. Mistie Bass of
Janesville Parker is the only player in state history to win the award multiple times, having won it three consecutive years (2000-02). The award has been awarded to seniors-only since.
All-time leading scorers
Shemera Williams,
Milwaukee Academy of Science — 3,120
Jolene Anderson, South Shore — 2,881
Allie Ziebell, Neenah — 2,819
Ameerah Grant,
Brown Deer — 2,701
Anna DeForge,
Niagara — 2,601
Sydney Cherney,
Reedsburg — 2,556
Makena Christian,
Hartford — 2,522
Kristiana Ouimette,
Lakeland — 2,522
Teagan Mallegni,
McFarland — 2,470
Kamorea Arnold,
Germantown — 2,458
Natalie Kussow,
Arrowhead — 2,450 (active)
Current WNBA players
Arike Ogunbowale,
Divine Savior Holy Angels Led DSHA to the 2015 Division 1 state title. She scored a state tournament record 55 points in the Dashers' state semifinal win and finished her career with 2,240 points. In college, Ogunbowale was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2018 when she led Notre Dame to the national title. Plays for the Dallas Wings.
Megan Gustafson,
South ShoreGustafson is the all-time leading scorer in girls basketball state history with 3,229 points. She scored a state-record 64 points in a game during her senior year, when she also set the mark for most points in a single season with 1,127. As a college senior at Iowa, she was named AP Player of the Year in 2019. Member of the Las Vegas Aces, the 2025 WNBA champions.
Natisha Hiedeman,
Green Bay SouthwestHiedeman scored 1,773 points during her high school career. Collegiately, she played at Marquette, where she earned Big East Player of the Year as a senior. Plays for the Minnesota Lynx.
Drafted/played in the WNBA
Mehryn Kraker,
West Allis CentralSamantha Logic,
Racine CaseJulie Wojta,
MishicotJolene Anderson,
South ShoreMistie Bass,
Janesville ParkerJanel McCarville,
Stevens PointKeisha Anderson,
Racine ParkChandra Johnson,
Eau Claire NorthRosalind Ross,
Milwaukee Bradley TechJerica Watson,
Milwaukee WashingtonAnna DeForge,
NiagaraSonja Henning,
Racine HorlickAngela Jackson, West Allis Central
Coaches with at least two state titles WBCA Hall of Fame coach Pam Kruse of Milwaukee Washington and Notre Dame coach Sara Rohde lead the list with five WIAA state titles each. Both guided their programs to three consecutive state titles. Kruse and Milwaukee Washington completed the three-peat from 1994-96 while Rohde and Notre Dame did so between 2021-23.
Pam Kruse,
Milwaukee Washington — 5
Sara Rohde,
Notre Dame Academy — 5
Peggy Mueller,
Madison West — 2
Cindy McVay,
Marshall — 2
Jewel Henke,
Lancaster — 2
Shelli Haferbecker,
Amherst — 2
Terri Schumacher,
Oshkosh West — 2
Lynn Geier,
Kewaunee — 2
Lora Staveness,
Edgewood — 2
Winningest Coaches
Pam Kruse, Milwaukee Washington — 587-112
Caron Townsend, Bloomington /
River Ridge – 537-195
Lora Staveness, Edgewood — 529-267 (active)
Lindy Kemp,
Brookfield East — 475-260
Lynn Geier, Kewaunee — 402-149 (active)
Angie Maternowsky,
St. Croix Falls — 379-161 (active)
Melody Owsley,
The Prairie School — 345-256
Heidi Georgeoff,
Howards Grove — 343-124 (active)
Heidi Michaelis,
Marshfield – 325-128 (active)
Angie Murphy,
Verona — 323-126
Sara Rohde, Notre Dame — 320-78 (active)
Dena Smith,
Shell Lake /
Jefferson / West Allis Central /
Lake Mills — 318-220
Corey Wolf,
Nicolet /
Homestead — 314-126
Alina Cunningham, Milwaukee Bradley Tech /
Milwaukee School of Languages — 259-103
Kim Redman,
Highland /
Seneca — 258-207
Judy Harms,
Whitewater — 244-157
