BURNSVILLE, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2025 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Winona State is voted to finish sixth in the South and 12th overall.
Hailey Markworth was selected as WSU's player to watch.
The Warriors picked up 75 points in the poll and were selected sixth in the South while being picked 12th overall. Minnesota State was selected to finish first overall with 215 points and MSU Moorhead was picked to win the North racking up 140 points in the polls.
The Warriors will be under the direction of fourth-year head coach,
Ana Wurtz, who will bring lots of experience to the Warriors. Wurtz, an assistant coach and graduate assistant at Winona State starting in 2011 and an associate head coach in 2018 assisted WSU to the NCAA Tournament in 2011 and 2016. She was a part of a 30-win season in 2015-2016 and a regular season NSIC Championship for the Warriors.
Markworth, a senior from LaGrange, Ill., appeared in 28 games (28 starts) as a junior, averaging 11.2 ppg and shot 131-299 (44%) from the field. Coach Wurtz on Markworth: "Hailey is the kind of player and teammate every program dreams of—committed, detail-oriented, and completely bought in on the defensive end. Her energy on the glass, creativity with the ball in her hands, and desire to always make the right play for the team make her a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. What sets Hailey apart is her humility and relentless drive to grow; every season she's expanded her game. Her intense focus and desire to be great every day continues to elevate our program, and we look forward to watching her set the standard for our team this season."
Along with Markworth, the Warriors return
Sadie Jarmolowicz,
Bria Stenstrom,
Natalie Meaux,
Megan Schuman,
Vivica Bretton, and
Lydia Lakanen who all saw minutes last season.
Winona State brings in talent from other programs this season with
Alayna Suprenand,
Breah Golden, and
Rachel Koenig all coming in as transfers from their respective programs.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, Coach Wurtz noted, "What excites me most about this season is the culture this group has created and the standard they hold each other to. They've established a culture marked by passion, selflessness, and gratitude—both for the game and for the people beside them. It's a privilege to coach a group that works this hard and cares this much about each other."
Round out the Warriors roster is the freshman group of
Rylie Cother,
Eva Brooks,
Myah Maull, and
Megan Johnson.
Winona State will open the 2025-26 season in invitational fashion against Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Friday, November 14th in Winona, Minn.
The 12-team NSIC Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place February 28-March 3 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The top four seeds will receive a first-round bye. First round games will be played on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
