Women’s basketball looks to contend

The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference this upcoming season, the league announced last week. The pre-season poll is voted on by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media members.

"We return almost everyone from a season ago; we have great leadership," said head coach Tanya Warren. "We've had a very good pre-season and practices have been very competitive with great intensity. Today, I emphasize today, we are as healthy as we've been in a long time."

UNI returns all five starters and 96 percent of its offense from the team that finished in sixth place in the MVC last season after posting an 11-19 overall and 9-9 conference record.

Included in that group is 2009 MVC Newcomer of the Year Kim Wypiszynski, who averaged 14.8 points per game in MVC play last season. UNI also returns senior guard Nicole Clausen, who has ranked among the MVC's leaders in three-point shooting over the last three seasons. Junior center Lizzie Boeck averaged more than 10 points per game last season for the Panthers. UNI also welcomes back the 2008 MVC Freshman of the Year Jacqui Kalin, who sat out most of last season with an injury after averaging 13.3 points per game in her first season.

"The strength of our team will be our balance and our experience," said Warren.

"Our goal this year is to simply get better each day, one day at a time, so that we can make that jump from the middle of the pack, where we have been the last couple years, to where we are competing at the top of the MVC. Consistency, without a doubt, will be the key to this team's success."

The Creighton University Blue Jays were picked as the pre-season favorites to win the MVC, followed by Illinois State University and Drake University.

"I really like this team. I like the preparation. I like what they did in the off-season and I like their focus…This could be a very exciting season for this team," said Warren.

"I would absolutely say that we can contend (for a conference title). I think we showed signs, especially last year, in terms of being able to beat people at the top of the league like Illinois State and Drake, and we took Creighton to overtime. This team is very capable of competing at the top of the league, and that is our goal."

UNI opens its season Sunday when it hosts Winona State University in an exhibition contest. The regular season begins Nov. 13 when the Panthers host North Dakota State University.