Huskers Take on Texas A&M Friday in Corvallis

The No. 6 seed Nebraska women’s basketball team opens the 2024 NCAA Tournament by tangling with 11th-seeded Texas A&M in the tournament’s first round in Corvallis, Ore., on March 22.

Tip-off between the Huskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten) and the Aggies (19-12, 6-10 SEC) is set for Friday at 9:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (PT) at Gill Coliseum. 

The game will be televised live by ESPNU with Jason Ross Jr. and Aja Ellison on the call.

Fans also can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. Pregame will start at 9 p.m. (CT). 

The Huskers, who ran to a runner-up finish at the TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 10, earned a No. 6 NCAA seed after finishing fifth in the Big Ten regular-season standings. The Huskers added wins over Purdue, and NCAA qualifiers Michigan State and Maryland at the conference tournament before falling in overtime to AP No. 3 Iowa and NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Iowa in the championship game. 

The Big Red is 8-3 over its last 11 games with five wins over NCAA Tournament teams during that stretch, including an 82-79 win over then-AP No. 2 and NCAA No. 1 seed Iowa (Feb. 11). Nebraska’s losses during the last 11 games came at No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa in Minneapolis and a one-point loss at NET Top 50 Illinois to end the regular season.

Nebraska’s No. 6 seed is its highest in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, when the Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers earned a No. 4 seed at UCLA and won their most recent game in the Big Dance by beating Fresno State in the first round before falling to BYU in the second round.

In 2013, Nebraska competed as the No. 6 seed and defeated No. 11 Chattanooga in the first round before upsetting No. 3 seed and AP No. 9 Texas A&M at Reed Arena in College Station to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

First-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski and 2023 first-team All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley both earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Markowski, a 6-3 post from Lincoln, averaged 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in four conference tournament games, including 23 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game. Shelley, a 5-9 point guard from Moe, Australia (pronounced MO-ee) averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists, including 16 points and a career-high 13 assists in the championship game. She had 30 points and nine assists in a semifinal victory over Maryland. 

Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts was outstanding in the Big Ten Tournament as well,  averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while tying the Nebraska conference tournament record with nine blocked shots. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., was an eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and claimed honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition from the league media. The two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year is coming off a 21-point, nine-rebound effort in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Logan Nissley joined Potts on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. The 6-0 guard from Bismarck, N.D., has started the last eight games for the Huskers and is averaging 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a starter. A teammate of Texas A&M’s Lauren Ware at Bismarck Century, Nissley had 13 points and five assists in the Big Ten Championship Game. Nissley was a three-time North Dakota High School Basketball Player of the Year and a two-time state volleyball player of the year.

#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten)
vs. #11 Texas A&M Aggies (19-12, 6-10 SEC)
Friday, March 22, 2024, 9:30 (CT)/7:30 p.m. (PT)
Gill Coliseum - Corvallis, Oregon
Television: ESPNU (Live Stream ESPN+)
Jason Ross Jr. (PBP), Aja Ellison (Analyst)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (9 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 590 AM (Omaha)
Live Stats: Huskers.com

#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten - NCAA NET 25)
22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 15.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 13.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 6.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 3.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Off the Bench
0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg
12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Eighth Season at Nebraska (136-110); 17th Season Overall (329-219)

#11 Texas A&M Aggies (19-12, 6-10 SEC - NCAA NET 41)
2 - Janiah Barker - 6-4 - So. - F - 12.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg
32 - Lauren Ware - 6-5 - RJr. - F - 9.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg
1 - Endyia Rogers - 5-7 - Gr. - G - 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg
5 - Aicha Coulibaly - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 13.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg
24 - Sahara Jones - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Off the Bench
15 - Sole’ Williams - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg
3 - Tineya Hylton - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg
00 - Sydney Bowles - 6-0 - So. - G - 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg
14 - Maliyah Johnson - 6-3 - RJr. - F - 2.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg
4 - Kay Kay Green - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg
Head Coach: Joni Taylor (Alabama, 2002)
Second Season at Texas A&M (28-32); Ninth Season Overall (168-107)

Scouting the Texas A&M Aggies

Coach Joni Taylor leads Texas A&M into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed in Corvallis after taking the Aggies to a 19-12 record that included a 6-10 SEC mark in 2023-24.

Taylor is in her second season with the Aggies, who have improved 10 games in the win column over a 9-20 campaign in 2022-23. The 2021 SEC Coach of the Year at Georgia, Taylor spent seven seasons leading the Bulldogs to four NCAA Tournaments, including three trips to the second round.

Texas A&M has lost four of its last five games, with all four games coming to NCAA Tournament teams (Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and No. 1 South Carolina). The Aggies picked up a decisive 72-56 win over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament first round, effectively knocking the Bulldogs out of the NCAA Tournament. 

Texas A&M features a strong starting five led by Aicha Coulibaly, who averages 13.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and a team-best 2.4 steals per game. Coulibaly has hit just 22 percent (9-41) of her threes on the season. Coulibaly, from Bamako, Mali, attended IMG Academy before spending her first three seasons at Auburn.

Endyia Rogers, a 5-9 graduate point guard, has added 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-leading 3.9 assists. A&M’s most prolific three-point threat, Rogers has hit 34.1 percent (47-138) from long range. She missed several games with an injury but returned to action at the SEC Tournament. Rogers spent her first two seasons at USC, before playing the past two years at Oregon. 

Sahara Jones rounds out the Aggie backcourt with 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The 6-0 guard supplies suffocating defense but has hit just 11-of-56 threes (.196) and 65.6 percent of her free throws. Jones was A&M’s No. 2 scorer (9.2 ppg) last season.

As a team, Texas A&M is hitting just 27.9 percent of its three-point attempts while connecting on just 5.2 three-pointers per game. However, the Aggies have shut down the opposition from long range, holding foes to just 4.7 threes per game. The Huskers are averaging 8.5 threes per game.

Janiah Barker, a 6-4 sophomore forward, leads A&M inside with 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She is also a threat from long range, hitting 21-of-63 threes (.333). She was A&M’s leading scorer a year ago at 12.7 points per game.

Lauren Ware, who spent her first three seasons at Arizona, has added more size and defensive dominance. The 6-5 redshirt junior averages 9.1 points and team bests of 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. She was a high school teammate of Nebraska Big Ten All-Freshman guard Logan Nissley at Bismarck Century High School in 2019-20.

Maliyah Johnson adds depth in the post for the Aggies. The 6-3 redshirt junior is averaging 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds behind Barker, who has fouled out five times this season, and Ware, who has fouled out twice.

Freshman Sole’ Williams has provided a long range threat off the bench by hitting 33.7 percent (31-92) of her threes while averaging 5.0 points per game.

Tineya Hylton (4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Sydney Bowles (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Kay Kay Green (2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg) add more backcourt depth in A&M’s 10-player rotation. Bowles (9.1 ppg, 2022-23) and Green (7.2 ppg, 2022-23) were regular starters for the Aggies last season.

As a team, Texas A&M is averaging 68.7 points and hitting 41 percent from the field, but just 67.8 percent from the free throw line. The Aggies own a plus-7.5 rebound margin and a plus-1.9 turnover margin. They have held opponents to just 58.6 points on 37.1 percent shooting.

After going 12-1 in non-conference play, A&M averaged just 61.9 points in SEC play, while allowing 65.5 points. The Aggies hit just 39.5 percent of their shots against league foes, including just 27.2 percent of their threes. They managed a plus-1.9 rebound margin in conference play and held a minus-1.1 turnover margin. SEC foes hit 34.8 percent of their threes against A&M and 76.3 percent of their free throws.

Nebraska and Texas A&M have faced three common opponents this year. The Aggies defeated Purdue 72-58 in West Lafayette, Ind. (Nov. 16). The Huskers went 3-0 against Purdue, including a 77-65 win at Mackey Arena (Feb. 17). Texas A&M defeated Kansas 63-52 in College Station (Dec. 3), while the Huskers fell to the Jayhawks in Lawrence 69-52 (Dec. 20). A&M defeated Lamar 83-51 in College Station (Dec. 6), just two weeks after Nebraska beat Lamar 75-61 (Nov. 23) in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Nebraska vs. Texas A&M Series History

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Texas A&M 15-9, including No. 24 NU’s 74-63 win at No. 9 Texas A&M in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in College Station on March 25, 2013. The sixth-seeded Huskers upset the third-seeded Aggies at Reed Arena to advance to the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Lindsey Moore led Nebraska with 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, while Jordan Hooper added 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Texan Hailie Sample pitched in her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Friday’s game between the Huskers and Aggies will mark the first time in 10 games that at least one of the two teams was not ranked in the AP Top 25, although Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament at No. 25 in the NET rankings. Both teams were ranked in the top 25 in three of the last four meetings, including Texas A&M’s 80-70 win over the Huskers in the 2010 Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The No. 11 Aggies handed the 30-0 Huskers their first loss of the season. Texas A&M went on to win the 2010 Big 12 Tournament title after Nebraska won the Big 12 regular-season crown as the first team ever to go undefeated (16-0) in Big 12 regular-season play. Nebraska went on to earn a No. 1 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Texas A&M lost in the NCAA second round by one point to Gonzaga in Seattle.

Nebraska and Texas A&M met every season as Big 12 foes from 1996-97 through 2010-11, before the Huskers joined the Big Ten and the Aggies headed to the SEC. The No. 5 Aggies defeated the Huskers 84-49 in Nebraska’s last regular-season Big 12 game (March 5, 2011) in College Station.

The first meeting between the two programs came on Feb. 27, 1981, when the Huskers defeated Texas A&M, 71-64, in College Station. Nebraska was victorious in nine of the first 10 meetings in series history, ending with a 74-71 win in Lincoln on Jan. 22, 2000. 

Nebraska is 8-1 all-time against Texas A&M in Lincoln, including a 71-60 win by the No. 4 Huskers over the No. 12 Aggies at the Devaney Center on Feb. 6, 2010 - the last meeting between the two teams in Lincoln. The series is tied 6-6 in College Station. Texas A&M owns a 2-1 edge on neutral courts with all three meetings coming at the Big 12 Tournament (Kansas City-1999, 2010; Dallas-2006).

Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament

The Nebraksa men’s and women’s basketball teams both won at least 22 games in the same season for the first time in school history, as both teams advanced to March Madness for the first time together since 2014. The Husker men (23-10) earned the No. 8 seed and will also play Texas A&M in the first round at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday at 5:50 p.m. (TNT).

Nebraska and Texas A&M are two of just 22 schools to place both their men’s and women’s teams  in the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournaments. The only other Big Ten school with both teams in the field is Michigan State, and both of the Spartan teams earned No. 9 seeds.

The 2024 season marks the fourth time in school history that both the Husker men’s and women’s teams have made the NCAA fields together, joining the 1993, 1998 and 2014 seasons. The Husker women won NCAA Tournament games in each of those three seasons.

The Husker women are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years, joining a trip as a No. 8 seed in 2022. The Huskers lost 68-55 to No. 9 seed Gonzaga in Louisville, Ky. (March 18, 2022).

Nebraska’s last NCAA Tournament win came against Fresno State (74-55, March 22, 2014) at UCLA in the 2014 NCAA First Round.

The Huskers have advanced to a pair of NCAA Sweet Sixteens in school history, with the most recent coming in 2013 as a No. 6 seed through No. 3 seed Texas A&M in College Station. Nebraska advanced to its first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2010, when the Huskers earned a No. 1 seed.

Nebraska is making its 16th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and its fourth as a No. 6 seed. The Huskers are 8-15 all-time in the Big Dance and 3-3 as a No. 6 seed. The Huskers won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game as a No. 6 seed with an 81-58 win over San Diego in Lincoln (March 17, 1993). The 1993 Huskers followed with a loss at No. 3 seed USC in Los Angeles.

The No. 6 Huskers lost to No. 11 Kansas in 2012 in Little Rock, before advancing to the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a No. 6 seed with wins over No. 11 Chattanooga and No. 3 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

Huskers Make Rare Trip to Oregon

Nebraska made its only trip in history to Corvallis in 1995-96, when the Huskers lost at No. 17 Oregon State, 89-65, on Dec. 2, 1995 in the Gazette Times Classic. Current Nebraska Head Coach Amy Williams was on the Husker roster but did not play in the game.

The only other trip to Oregon the Huskers have ever made came with a 73-67 loss at Oregon in Eugene on Jan. 3, 1985 - the only meeting in history with the Ducks.

Nebraska is 0-3 all-time against Oregon State, dating back to an 84-71 loss to the Beavers at the California Invitational (Dec. 5, 1980). NU’s most recent meeting with Oregon State ended with a 75-67 loss to OSU in the WNIT on March 22, 2004 at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

Both Nebraska (Jaz Shelley) and Texas A&M (Endyia Rogers) feature point guards who are transfers from Oregon. Shelley is in her third season at Nebraska after spending her first two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21) with the Ducks. Shelley is averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and team bests of 5.6 assists and 1.7 steals. Rogers spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons at Oregon after playing her first two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21) with USC. Rogers is averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.9 assists.

Markowski Climbs to Top of Double-Double List

Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski is making history as the top double-double producer in the history of Husker basketball. Markowski has notched 19 double-doubles in 33 games this season to join first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (2011-14) atop the Husker career double-doubles list with 40. Griffin and Hooper both produced their school records in four full seasons of starting every game for the Big Red, while Markowski is closing her third season.

Markowski’s next double-double will put her alone atop Nebraska’s career double-doubles list and will give her 20 on the season, matching Griffin’s school-record 20 as a first-team All-American and National Player of the Year finalist in 2009-10.

A first-team All-Big Ten selection, Markowski produced her most recent double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds in Nebraska’s Big Ten Championship Game overtime loss to No. 3 Iowa in Minneapolis (March 10).

The Big Ten All-Tournament choice also posted a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over Michigan State (March 8).

Markowski, who earned her second appearance on the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding at 10.8 boards per game, including 11.5 in conference play. She also ranks seventh in the league in scoring at 15.9 points per game.

She produced the biggest double-double of her career with 20 points and 21 rebounds in a 77-65 road win at Purdue (Feb. 17). It was just the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound performance in Husker history. She added 12 points and 10 boards in a win over Northwestern (Feb. 20), before contributing 10 points and 12 boards in a win over Minnesota (Feb. 24).

Markowski has scored in double figures 31 times in 33 games this season, including eight 20-point performances. She was held to nine points and 16 rebounds at No. 2 Ohio State (Feb. 14) and had nine points and 13 rebounds in a Big Ten semifinal win over Maryland (March 9).

The 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Markowski earned her second straight appearance on the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List this year. Last season, as the only sophomore on the list, she advanced to the Midseason Top 10 for the award.

Markowski ranks sixth on the Nebraska career rebound list with 942.

Markowski Piling on Rebounds

With 13 rebounds in the Big Ten Championship Game (March 10), Alexis Markowski pushed her season total to 355, passing first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin (354, 2009-10) for the No. 3 spot on Nebraska’s single-season rebounding list.

Markowski’s 355 rebounds are the second-highest total by a junior in school history, trailing only 417 boards by Janet Smith (1980-81).

Markowski also set Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament rebounding record with 45 boards in four tournament games in 2024, including three straight double-figure rebound games to close the tournament. She has pulled down double-figure boards in eight of Nebraska’s last 10 contests.

She has averaged 12.3 rebounds over the last 10 games to help the Huskers to a 7-3 record down the stretch, including four wins over NCAA Tournament teams, beginning with a win over then-No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11).

Markowski, who owns 21 double-digit rebound performances on the season, owns 942 career rebounds in three seasons to rank No. 6 in Husker history. 

Shelley, Markowski Named to Big Ten All-Tournament Team

Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski produced two of the best individual performances by Huskers in conference tournament history to earn spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team following Nebraska’s appearance in the championship game (March 10) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Shelley set the Nebraska conference (Big Ten, Big 12, Big Eight) tournament scoring record with 82 points (20.5 ppg), breaking the mark set by first-team All-American and 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Hooper who scored 79 points in leading the Huskers to a championship game appearance in 2012.Shelley also broke NU’s tournament assist record with 34 (8.0 apg), breaking the mark of 30 set by 2014 Big Ten Tournament MVP Rachel Theriot. Shelley also smashed Nebraska’s conference tournament season (16) and career (35) three-point records. The previous conference tournament three-point mark was held by Hooper, who hit 20. Hooper hit her 20 threes in four seasons as a starter, while Shelley has played just three seasons at Nebraska.

Shelley set the Big Ten Tournament single-game three-point record with nine threes against Illinois on her way to 32 points in a win over Illinois in 2022. The nine threes are also an overall Nebraska individual three-point record.

Markowski added a record performance of her own with 45 rebounds (11.3 rpg) over four conference tournament games. Her 45 boards were not only a Nebraska record but the second-highest total by any player in Big Ten Tournament history. Markowsk’s 66 points were the fifth-most ever scored by a Husker in a conference tournament, while her 15 assists were also the fifth-most by a Husker in a conference tournament. The only players with more assists in conference tournament history than Markowski are the three best point guards in school history (Lindsey Moore, Jaz Shelley and Rachel Theriot).

Markowski Named First-Team All-Big Ten
Alexis Markowski led an impressive hardware haul by the Huskers when All-Big Ten teams were announced on Tuesday, March 5. The 6-3 center from Lincoln, Neb., captured first-team all-conference honors for the first time after claiming second-team accolades in 2023 and 2022, when she was also the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Markowski, who ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (10.8 rpg) and seventh in scoring (15.9 ppg), has produced 19 double-doubles during the season, including 11 in Big Ten play and two more in the Big Ten Tournament. She was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll seven times in 2023-24. 

Jaz Shelley, a 2023 first-team All-Big Ten selection, claimed second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second time in three seasons at Nebraska. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia (pronounced MO-ee) was a second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2022, when she was also a member of the media’s Big Ten All-Defensive Team. 

Shelley ranks second among the Huskers in scoring (13.7 ppg), while leading the team in assists (5.6 apg), steals (1.7 spg) and made three-pointers (82). She has added 4.2 rebounds per game.

Shelley and Markowski were both preseason first-team All-Big Ten heading into the 2023-24 season, and Markowski was also preseason first-team All-Big Ten in 2022-23.

Potts Earns Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award

Natalie Potts capped an outstanding first season at Nebraska by being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches on Tuesday, March 5.

The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., claimed her eighth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (March 4), before earning NU’s third Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honor in the last eight years.

The Big Ten’s most consistent freshman from start to finish since earning the league’s first freshman-of-the-week honor (Nov. 13), Potts claimed at least one weekly award in all five months of the campaign. Her eight weekly honors matched teammate Alexis Markowski’s award total from her 2022 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year campaign.

A two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year, Potts averaged 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals over the last two weeks of the regular season.

She added 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in helping the Huskers to the Big Ten Championship Game, where she finished with 21 points and nine rebounds against No. 3 Iowa.

For the season, she led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and field goal percentage (.509), while ranking second in scoring (10.6 ppg). She also ranked among freshman leaders in free throw percentage (.824).

A unanimous choice by the coaches to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Potts has produced five double-doubles, including 15 points and 11 rebounds in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over Michigan State (March 8). She also had game highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Northwestern (Feb. 20), on her way to her seventh Big Ten weekly freshman honor.

Potts, who has started all 33 games for the Big Red, was named the No. 14 impact freshman in the nation by ESPN on Dec. 22. She is just the 10th freshman in school history to start every game of her first season, and her next start will match Lindsey Moore (34, 2009-10) for the most starts in school history by a freshman.

Potts owns 20 double-figure scoring games on the season, including her second 20-point effort of the year with 21 points in the Big Ten Championship Game against No. 3 Iowa. She scored a season-high 22 points against Lamar (Nov. 23).

She earned her sixth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award with 14 points and six rebounds in Nebraska’s 82-79 upset of No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11). She produced eight points and five rebounds in helping the Huskers outscore the Hawkeyes 27-10 in the decisive fourth quarter. It followed a 12-point performance in a huge road win at Michigan (Feb. 6). 

Potts had 11 points, six rebounds and a career-high four steals in a win over Purdue (Jan. 31). 

Potts produced her third career double-double with game highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Michigan (Jan. 17).

She posted her second double-double with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in NU’s win over Maryland (Dec. 31), including 13 points and 12 boards in the second half. 

Potts scored all 16 of her points in the second half in a win at Wisconsin (Jan. 4). She opened league play with 10 points, five boards and two blocks in a win at Michigan State (Dec. 9). 

Potts had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes in a win over UNCW (Dec. 5). 

Potts won her second Big Ten Freshman award (Nov. 22) after averaging 14.0 points in two games at the St. Pete Showcase. She opened the week with a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field, including a three-pointer, in a 75-61 win over Lamar.

She opened another strong week by notching her first double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29). She followed with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in a win over Georgia Tech (Dec. 2).

Potts averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block to earn her first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award (Nov. 13).

She backed up her opening week with 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in her second week, including 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting against No. 22 Creighton (Nov. 19). She had seven points, 11 rebounds and a career-high three blocks in a win over Alcorn State (Nov. 14).

Nissley Joins Potts on Big Ten All-Freshman Team

Nebraska freshman Logan Nissley made a late-season push to earn Big Ten All-Freshman honors from both the coaches and media (March 5). The 6-0 guard from Bismarck, N.D., played a major role in NU’s success in February, averaging 9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists over seven games, helping NU to a 5-2 record in the month.

Nissley has joined the starting lineup the past eight games, helping the Huskers to a 6-2 record. She has scored in double figures four times as a starter, including 11 points - all in the third quarter - in Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal win over Michigan State (March 8). She closed the tournament with 13 points and five assists in a career-high 34 minutes against No. 3 Iowa in the championship game (March 10).

She is averaging 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists, while hitting 17-of-42 three-pointers (.405) as a starter.

In her first career start, Nissley tied a career high with 18 points to help the Huskers to a road win at Purdue (Feb. 17). She helped NU rally from a 10-point first-quarter deficit by scoring 11 first-half points and the first six points of the second half.

She added 12 points in her second start by tying her career high with four three-pointers while dishing out a career-high six assists in a win over Northwestern (Feb. 20).

Nissley’s efforts in her first two starts followed a breakout performance with 15 points and a career-high seven rebounds in Nebraska’s 82-79 win over No. 2 Iowa (Feb. 11).

She owns 11 double-figure scoring efforts on the season, including five in the past 10 games. For the season, Nissley is averaging 6.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing in all 33 games. 

Nissley, who has hit 55-of-141 three-pointers, ranks No. 3 in Nebraska history in made threes by a freshman. Nissley’s .390 three-point percentage also ranks fourth among freshmen in Husker history.

Nebraska’s 20-Win Seasons

Nebraska has produced its third 20-win season under Coach Amy Williams and its second in the past three years behind three wins at the Big Ten Tournament.

The Huskers own 19 20-win seasons in school history, including a top victory total of 32 in 2009-10. Nebraska owns eight 20-win campaigns from 2009-10 to 2023-24.

The Nebraska men’s basketball program also owns a 20-win season in 2023-24, giving the two teams 20-win seasons in the same year for the first time since 2017-18, when the men finished 22-11, and the women went 21-11.

The Husker men’s and women’s teams had never achieved 22 wins in the same season before 2023-24. The men enter the NCAA Tournament at 23-10, while the women are 22-11.

Husker Numbers to Watch

• Natalie Potts will tie the Nebraska school record for starts by a freshman held by Lindsey Moore (34, 2009-10) with her next start. Potts has started all 33 games, matching the consecutive starts by Emily Cady and Hailie Sample as Husker freshmen in 2011-12 and Dominique Kelley in 2007-08. Only 10 freshmen in Nebraska history have started every game during a season.

• Alexis Markowski will tie the Nebraska single-season double-double record (20) with her next double-double and break the Nebraska career record (40). Markowski owns 19 double-doubles in 2023-24 and 40 double-doubles in her three-year career.

• Markowski is expected to play her 100th game in a Husker uniform in the NCAA Tournament opener with Texas A&M on Friday.

• Logan Nissley needs two three-pointers to match Hannah Whitish (57, 2016-17) for second on Nebraska’s freshman single-season three-point made list.

Nebraska Notables

•  Jaz Shelley has become the most prolific three-point shooter in conference tournament history for NU. She owns a school-record 32 triples in seven Big Ten Tournament games, surpassing the 20 career threes by first-team All-American Jordan Hooper in Big Ten and Big 12 Tournament games.

•  Shelley has climbed to No. 2 on Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament career scoring list with 149 points. She needs 35 points to catch Jordan Hooper (184) atop Nebraska’s Big Ten Tournament scoring list.

• Shelley (644) and Darian White (530) both own 500 assists in their college careers. Only five previous Huskers in history had totaled 500 collegiate assists (Lindsey Moore, Meggan Yedsena, Rachel Theriot, Jina Johansen, Nicole Kubik). 

• Darian White has scored in double figures 105 times in her college career (97, Montana State; 8, Nebraska). She scored a season-high 16 points against TCU (Nov. 25).

• Nebraska features one of the Big Ten’s best freshman classes with Natalie Potts (350/186), Logan Nissley (221/67) and Jessica Petrie (133/70) combining for 707 points and 323 rebounds. All three freshmen have played in all 33 games for the Big Red and all three are averaging double-figure minutes.

• Nebraska, which owns 13 wins this season over NET Top 75 teams including seven since Feb. 1, is 6-2 the last eight games with Big Ten All-Freshman Team pick Logan Nissley as a starter.   

Husker Nuggets
• Natalie Potts earned eight Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week awards in 2023-24. No other league freshman won more than three awards. Potts won conference honors Nov. 13, Nov. 27, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Jan. 15, Feb. 12, Feb. 26 and March 3. 

• Alexis Markowski was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll seven times in 2023-24 and was a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.  She ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (10.8 rpg) and seventh in scoring (15.9 ppg).

• The Huskers had seven players produce double figures in points against UNCW, which is believed to be the first time that has been accomplished in school history. It is the second time this season the Huskers have had six players score in double figures in a game (Northwestern State, Nov. 6).

• Three Huskers (Alexis Markowski, Natalie Potts, Jaz Shelley) recorded double-doubles in the win over Maryland (Dec. 31), which is the first time a Husker trio notched doubles in the same game since Jordan Hooper (23 points, 11 rebounds), Emily Cady (15 points, 11 rebounds) and Rachel Theriot (10 points, 12 assists) did it in an NCAA first-round win over Fresno State in Los Angeles on March 22, 2014.

• The Huskers have hit at least one three in 497 straight games dating back to a loss at UTEP on Dec. 20, 2008. Nebraska has hit at least two threes in 376 consecutive games.

• Nebraska has hit 10 or more threes 40 times in the last 105 games, including 12 times in 2023-24. The Huskers hit a season-high 16 threes against UNCW (Dec. 5). Most recently, NU drained 14 threes against Iowa (March 10), after hitting 13 threes in a win over Maryland (March 9). The Huskers sank 12 triples vs. Southern (Dec. 17), 11 threes vs. Minnesota (Feb. 24), and 10 threes vs. Northwestern State (Nov. 6), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29), Georgia Tech (Dec. 2), Michigan State (Dec. 9), Maryland (Dec. 31) and both games vs. Iowa (Jan. 27/Feb. 11).

• Through the first 20 seasons with the three-point shot in women’s basketball (1988-2007), Nebraska hit 10 threes in a game just six times (591 games).