The Millikin Women’s Basketball team has one of the most successful resumes in Big Blue athletics history.
Winner of the 2005 national championship, they have numerous College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season and tournament titles, the most recent title coming in 2023, when the team won both the regular season and tournament titles after a 15-1 conference record. Last year, the Big Blue came in third place, going 23-6 (13-3 CCIW) on the year. They have advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament the past two years, and in 2022 they made it to the Sweet 16.
After a successful last few seasons, the team now has a new head coach and a new lineup to work with. The 2023-24 team graduated three starters in Elyce Knudsen, Bailey Coffman, and Sophie Darden.
While the team may look different this year, many talented players return. Emily White, a senior who was injured for the majority of the 2023-24 season, played in 28 of 29 games her sophomore year. Other key returners include Kyleigh Block, Matayia Tellis, and Emily Brenneisen.
The new head coach, Kirsten Hammer, is no stranger to talented basketball programs. She was a part of the UW-Whitewater women’s basketball coaching staff for the past five years and in that time, the team had a record of 107-24, with a sweet 16 appearance in 2023, an elite 8 appearance in 2024, and a 2022 national runner up finish. She also helped lead the Warhawks to 2 regular season conference championships and one conference tournament title.
Hammer was also a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 30 under 30 honoree in 2022. As an athlete, she played two seasons at UW-Whitewater from 2012-2014, where she was part of two final four finishing teams and two conference championships.
Hammer is excited to bring her championship experience to an already established program.
“It starts with the girls in the program. This program is filled with hard workers and a lot of talent, but they are also selfless and willing to do what’s best for the program as a whole. I also want them all to understand that I am there for them as a person, not just as a player,” she said.
Hammer is excited for the upcoming year, with high hopes for the 2024-25 campaign.
“I’m looking forward to seeing our athletes step into new roles this year. We returned some great players that are ready to get to work, and integrated some talented new players as well. I hope to build off of the current culture of the team and keep connecting with the players. We are a family here,” she said.
The Women’s Basketball team was voted to finish third in conference this year, behind Carroll (second) and Illinois Wesleyan (first). The team will officially open their season on Monday, November 11 at 7 pm against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the Griswold Gym.
