WIAA 2026 Championship Saturday: Live Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3-Point Challenge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Round</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1264437' first='Kinley' last='Peterson'] (Fox Valley Lutheran): 9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zoey Siders (Valders): 15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='624965' first='Claudia' last='Asman'] (Kimberly): 21</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1417587' first='Aubrey' last='Schettle'] (Lourdes Academy): 11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='751291' first='Grace' last='Mitchell'] (Winneconne): 14</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooklyn Talmage (Boyceville): 15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bre Heller (Mauston): 11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='654832' first='Riley' last='Ward'] (Whitnall): 10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='533074' first='Kardyn' last='Peppler'] (Hortonville): 8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1236090' first='Elly' last='Gardner'] (Columbus Catholic): 10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Semifinal</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='751291' first='Grace' last='Mitchell'] (Winneconne): 16</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zoey Siders (Valders): 12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooklyn Talmage (Boyceville): 13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='624965' first='Claudia' last='Asman'] (Kimberly): 15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='624965' first='Claudia' last='Asman'] (Kimberly): 18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='751291' first='Grace' last='Mitchell'] (Winneconne): 20</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Champion: [player_tooltip player_id='751291' first='Grace' last='Mitchell'] (Winneconne)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D5 Championship: No. 1Eleva-Strum</strong> <strong>vs. No. 2 Pacelli</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Not a lot went Eleva-Strum's way this half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='751245' first='Avery' last='Glenz']'s offense has kept her team in it</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Pacelli has shot the ball well from the field in the first half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Pacelli could have blown that game wide open</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Ella Van Order and Jaedyn Zdroik have been very good</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Jaedyn Zdroik was the best player on the floor</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Zdroik 20-19-10 triple double</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Eleva-Strum couldn't find its rhythm offensively</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D4 Championship: No. 1 Neillsville vs. No. 3 Albany/Monticello</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Neillsville has controlled the pace of the game</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-It has been a slow-paced game from the jump</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Albany/Monticello has had issues getting the ball in the paint</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Neillsville has also been the most physical team on the floor</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Halftime was something, kid might've lost a tooth, did bleed on the floor after taking a shot to the face</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Albany/Monticello has been very good in the 2nd half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='595865' first='Molly' last='Olson'] is one of the most entertaining guards I've watched</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='1241386' first='Eden' last='Marg'] has been the difference and has a double-double this afternoon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-One of the most competitive games at the tournament this year</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D3 Championship: No. 1 Oostburg vs. No. 3 Wisconsin Dells</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Oostburg is significantly better than the Dells</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533060' first='Ady' last='Ketterhagen'] has been as physical as ever</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='880796' first='Kinsley' last='Ketterhagen'] has gotten anything she's wanted offensively</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533061' first='Riley' last='Ketterhagen'] had a solid start before an injury cut her half short</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Lady Dutch have been elite all season, and nothing's changed today</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-It has been all Oostburg in this one</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Ady in particular gave the Dells fits</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-It never really got close</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D2 Championship: No. 2 Whitefish Bay vs. No. 4 Beaver Dam</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Bay had a slow start to the half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Joelee Drzonek's start helped the Golden Beavers take an early lead</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Bay found its footing midway through the half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Blue Dukes went 9/17 from beyond the arc in the first half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Blue Dukes also got a 6-0 run in the final minute to extend the lead to eight, its largest of the half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Golden Beavers are beating the Bay press</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Need to convert the press break into more points</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Beaver Dam is in it, even though the Blue Dukes had all the momentum heading into the locker room</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Bay went on a run after the break</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Beaver Dam battled back from down 17</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Beaver Dam was the best team in the 2nd half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Joelee Drzonek was incredible</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='751252' first='Carrington' last='Balthasar'], reading that final play from the other side of the floor, won the Blue Dukes their first state championship</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Best game of the State Tournament, in my opinion</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D1 Championship: No. 1 Wauwatosa East vs. No. 2 Arrowhead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Like the first game between these two, there isn't much that separates these two teams</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-The game has been allowed to be physical</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'] has been effective defensively</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Arrowhead battled from being down 12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Very few turnovers given the physicality</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-What Tosa East is doing feels more repeatable than Arrowhead at the moment</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-We should be in for a doozy the rest of the way here</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Arrowhead has chased most of the second half</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-The Warhawks dug themselves out of a few holes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'] made a heck of a play on the ball with her team up two with less than a minute to go</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-The game has been physical throughout</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Officials have let the kids play through contact</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Elly Petersen has given the Warhawks good minutes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-This game is an all timer</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='454966' first='Ellie' last='Deprey'] four-point play tied us up late</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='751284' first='Sidney' last='Zehner'] rattled out a game-winner</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Overtime</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Kussow missed a free-throw made the 2nd to start OT</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533057' first='Natalie' last='Kussow'] extends the lead to three</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'] is making some ridiculous plays defensively</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='766594' first='Audrey' last='Sellinger'] cuts the lead to one on a BLOB</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Arrowhead had a chance to win it, but stalled in the backcourt</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Double OT</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='400915' first='Mikaia' last='Litza'] made an excellent read off the jump ball, missed the layup</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Kussow then got to the line for two free throws, went one for two</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Litza got to the rim and finished East up one</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Kussow three gives her 30, Warhawks up two</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-East whistled for an illegal screen</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Kussow was fouled, she went to the line for two, went two for two</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-[player_tooltip player_id='400915' first='Mikaia' last='Litza'], [player_tooltip player_id='766594' first='Audrey' last='Sellinger'], [player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'], and [player_tooltip player_id='751284' first='Sidney' last='Zehner'] all have four fouls</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Kussow to the line for two, she goes two for two, extending the Warhawlk lead to six</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Elly Petersen has been massive off the bench for Arrowhead and played both overtime periods</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-I can't describe the plays that [player_tooltip player_id='533082' first='Libby' last='Gilmore'] made in the last few minutes of regulation and the overtime periods</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-That was the best game I've seen in my five years at the State Tournament, a fitting way to end the year</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->