Wisconsin women's basketball adds former NC State guard, first transfer of 2025 offseason
Wisconsin women's basketball made its first splash of the 2025 offseason on Saturday.
Following one of the busier March windows in recent program history, the Badgers added former NC State Wolfpack transfer guard Laci Steele. Steele marks the first portal addition under recently-hired head coach Robin Pingeton, who took the reigns following former head coach Marisa Moseley's resignation.
Steele initially entered the portal on March 31 after two seasons with NC State, where she averaged 2.7 points and 9.7 minutes in 55 career games. As a true freshman, Steele appeared in 32 games off the bench and notched 3.4 points in 11.8 minutes played per game. During that time, she also hit 20 three-pointers, shot 80% from the charity stripe and finished with four double-digit scoring games.
The 5-foot-11 guard's production dwindled during her sophomore campaign, a season during which she recorded 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in limited minutes.
Steele arrived in Raleigh after being named the Oklahoma AAU Player of the Year, Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and Oklahoma Max Preps Player of the Year in 2023. Her 21.3-point-per-game output as a senior at Edmund North High School, where she left as the all-time leader in both points and steals, elevated her to the No. 56 overall recruit in the class of 2023.
So, while the collegiate production might not pop off the screen, Steele's ceiling is much higher than advertised. Like many college athletes, she struggled to discover consistent minutes in a crowded backcourt. She is now headed to a program in need of any offensive contributions.
Above all, Steele's acquisition allows Pingeton to exhale slightly. The first move at a new program, no matter how substantial, is notable for any first-year head coach. Steele is a respectable first move, given her background and potential.
Before further transfer movement, Wisconsin now rosters seven players as of April 8. Four of those seven were true freshmen a season ago and saw limited playing time in the rotation. UW will look to add more names, specifically in the frontcourt, to its roster over the coming weeks.
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