BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Winona State University women’s basketball team heads into the 2021-22 season in the coming weeks and will be led by Taylor Hustad, who was tabbed as WSU’s player to watch heading into the season.

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) released their Preseason Coaches’ Poll, and Winona State was voted to finish fifth in the south division and 10th overall. Augustana was voted to finish first in the south division, while Minnesota Duluth was tabbed to finish first in the north and first overall.

The Warriors look forward to competing in a full season with a strong group of returning experience and exciting new talent. Head coach Scott Ballard will head into November with 17 student-athletes, including four seniors. 

Hustad, a senior from New Prague, Minn. earned NSIC All-Conference Second Team last year, leading the Warriors in points scored (317), total rebounds (88) and minutes played (317). Hustad hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds against MSU-Mankato in an exciting 95-91 OT win on Feb. 6, 2021. 

Emma Fee leads the Warrior way in the paint this winter, as the 6’1” senior from Burnsville, Minn. put together some dominating performances during the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign.  Fee had heroics on multiple occasions last year, including a buzzer-beater to down Concordia-St. Paul 68-67 on Feb. 13 and dropped a career-high 30 points on Sioux Falls on Jan. 17 as well. 

Veterans Caitlyn Riley and Emily Kieck round out the key leadership core for the Warriors, with Kieck leading the team with 36 assists last year. Riley had 10 starts and appeared in all 12 games.

The Warriors won four of their last five games of the season and head into this November with renewed enthusiasm, starting the 2021-22 season with a pair of exhibition games in La Crosse, Wis. Winona State will take on Dakota State University on Friday, Nov. 12 and Viterbo University on Saturday, Nov. 13. 

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.