MARISA MOSELEY: Exciting to be back in Minneapolis. I'm excited to start my second year here at Wisconsin. Any of you who have started a new job, year two is always better than year one. But I am really fortunate that my staff has helped me put together a great roster for this upcoming season. We've added new faces. I said it, eight new people.
I'm excited with the infusion of talent that we have, also with the veterans that we're bringing back.
Last year we won more Big Ten games than we had since 2015 at Wisconsin. Definitely a great momentum and upward trajectory for the program. Really feel like we've set the tone for what's to come this coming season.
Excited about our slate of games for this upcoming year. We get an opportunity to go town to The Virgin Islands for Thanksgiving, have a great three different opponents that we'll take on.
We get to do something to make history in the state of Wisconsin, play at American Family Field, where the Brewers play, on November 11th. We have a doubleheader with the men, get to take on K-State. I'm excited for my kids to experience playing in a different venue, giving the state of Wisconsin something to get excited about with both of our programs.
As far as what I see coming forward for our team and the season, I think you'll see the same thing you saw as we finished out the year: selfless play, a lot of tenacity. We want to be the most prepared team, we want to execute, and we want to make sure that we're excited for other people's success just as much as our own.
Thank you so much for having me and excited to take some questions here.
Q. Twice this season there will be two female Black head coaches coaching against each other. Can you speak on that significance. Have we come to a point where it's becoming a rule as opposed to an exception?
MARISA MOSELEY: Absolutely, yeah.
I feel an incredible responsibility as a Black female here representing not only Wisconsin but in the Big Ten Conference. Coquese, I'm excited, she's a friend, to go against her. She's gotten the opportunity at Rutgers.
For both of us, whether we're competing against each other or against other opponents on any given night, we have an opportunity to show what we're capable of doing, that we are coaches who just happen to be Black.
I think that for young girls, Black, white, any other race or ethnicity, they need to see us in these positions of power and understand we can run a program, be successful, we can do it with grace and with poise.
Q. Wisconsin as a program hasn't won more than five conference games since 2010. You won five last year. What are you doing to improve on that number this year?
MARISA MOSELEY: Partly is recruiting, right? We have to make sure we continue to build a great group of talented players. But it's also the way that we're developing that talent. For them to buy into that this is bigger than basketball, we're talking about leadership stuff, we're talking about making sure we're giving back to the community. All of those things build into your culture and a championship mindset.
It's not just about X's and O's, but it's all the things we're building that they understand who we are, how we're going to do things at Wisconsin.
I think that will ultimately lead to more victories both on the court and off the court.
Q. You coached in different schools before. Every place is different. What was maybe the biggest lesson or two you got from year one at Wisconsin that you're looking to change or take with you?
MARISA MOSELEY: I think probably the biggest one is my maturity as a coach, understanding that I've got to make sure I empower my players.
One of the things whether you're hiring people or recruiting players, you want to recruit really good people that are winners. Those are two of the ethos that I go by. We have to give them a lot of autonomy to do their job.
Players, the same thing. I have to make sure I get really good players who understand what it is we're trying to do, but then I've got to let go of the reins a little bit and allow them to be who they are, play through some of their mistakes, but ultimately they're going to gain confidence from knowing that I believe in them and we can take those steps together.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports