WBB: Wisconsin's 2025 recruiting class now consists of, uh, nobody
When Marisa Moseley resigned last month it was expected both '25 signees would head elsewhere.
The massive roster turnover for Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball continued at a breakneck pace this past week. Firstly, new head coach Robin Pingeton brought in two promising transfers:
However, on the other side of the ledger, both 2025 high school commits decided they were going to play elsewhere. Inés García Monje (Davidson) and Leyre Urdiáin Esperanza (Georgia Tech), both of Spain, announced they were no longer going to be Badgers. “Changing my decision hasn't been easy but I think it will help me grow more as a player,” Urdiáin said in her Instagram post announcing her commitment to the Yellow Jackets.
If you’re interested in seeing what UW might be missing out on, my scouting reports for the two Spaniards are below.
Drew Hamm
When there is a coaching change the upcoming recruiting class almost always falls apart as the players either don’t fit what the new coach is looking for or they follow the old coach to their new spot. Since Marisa Moseley looks likely to not coach at all next season, Garcia and Urdiáin were left to look elsewhere.
Mizzou had a one-woman class for 2025 under Pingeton, but point guard Nikki Kerstein (suburban Chicago) appears to still be committed to the Tigers. I have reached out to My Sources to see if they know anything about Kerstein, but I feel like we would’ve heard about her following Pingeton to Madison by now.
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So, as of April 21, 2025 here is what Wisconsin’s roster looks like (*denotes transfer in):
- Alie Bisballe, 6-foot-4, sophomore
- Alba Martine Mesa, 5-foot-6, sophomore
- Jovana Spasovski, 6-foot-0, sophomore
- Reese Jaramillo, 5-foot-8, sophomore (walk-on)
- Leena Patibandla, 6-foot-0, junior
- Laci Steele, 5-foot-11, junior*
- Lily Krahn, 5-foot-10, senior
- Gift Uchenna, 6-foot-3, senior*
- Destiny Howell, 6-foot-0, graduate*
There is a roster cap of 15 players in women’s basketball and, once everything gets settled in Congress/the courts, starting in the 2025-26 academic year teams will be able to offer partial scholarships (which basketball, football, and volleyball couldn’t before) to players that might’ve been walk-ons in the past.
Wisconsin has nine players on the roster and, with both 2025 freshmen decommitting, can bring in up to six more for next year. Here is how I would rank the positions UW needs with their current roster construction:
- veteran, with starting experience, point guard
- stretch big
- backup point guard (multiple years of eligibility remaining)
- wing (defensive)
- wing (shooter)
- best player available on UW’s board, regardless of position lol
There are still PLENTY of players left in the portal looking for new homes and if Pingeton has proven anything in her short stint in charge of Wisconsin’s WBB program it’s that she is not patient. Hopefully they start checking some of these positional needs off their list soon.
