Wisconsin women’s basketball: three new players officially added to 2022-23 roster

On Friday evening, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team officially announced three new members of the roster for the 2022-2023 season. Sania Copeland, a 5-foot-7 guard from Olathe, Kan.; Mary Ferrito, a 5-foot-10 guard from Columbus, Ohio; and Ronnie Porter, a 5-foot-2 guard from St. Paul, Minn. are a part of a roster overhaul that the Badgers have gone through since the end of last season.

“My staff and I are overjoyed to welcome these additional pieces to the puzzle for next year’s team,” said head coach Marisa Moseley in a release from UW. “As I said from the beginning, we want great people who are also winners! All three of these young women epitomize that charge and join the other members of next year’s class to help take Badger WBB back one step closer to long term success!”

In addition to these three new players, the Badgers also brought in grad transfer point guard Avery LaBarbera from Holy Cross and four new freshmen that signed back in November for a grand total of eight new faces heading into next season.

Sania Copeland

5-foot-7, Guard
Hometown: Olathe, Kan.
School: Olathe North High School
B5Q commitment post: right here

• One of the top-five guards in the state of Kansas
• 2022 first-team all-state; 2021 second-team all-state
• Led her team to a fourth-place finish in the 2022 state tournament
• AAU team finished fifth at the EYBL Peach Jam in 2021
• Named MVP of the 2021 Junior NBA Championship
• Member of the 2021 Seth Curry Underrated Tour
• Set high school scoring record with 1,102 points
• Three-time all-conference
• Member of the honor roll all four years

Hear if from coach: “She has a phenomenal work ethic and determination to become the best at whatever she does. She plays with a chip on her shoulder and a passion for winning that our fans are sure to love.”

Mary Ferrito

5-foot-10, Guard
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
School: Jonathan Alder High School
B5Q commitment post: right here

• Averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game as a senior
• 2022 Second-Team All-State (DII)
• Two-time first-team All-Conference
• Conference Player of the Year as a senior
• Named a CBC Athlete of the Month and 270 Hoops Player of the Week
• Named team MVP and captain
• Scored 1,229 career points
• Has a 4.0 cumulative GPA
• Parents are both UW graduates

Hear it from coach: “Her versatility and knack for scoring fit right into our culture. Mary’s competitive nature and desire to be pushed in everything that she does made her commitment a no-brainer! Born and raised a Badger, we can’t wait to have her in Madison.”

Ronnie Porter

5-foot-2, Guard
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
School: Como Park High School
B5Q commitment post: right here

• Averaged 22.7 points, 5.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game as a senior
• Led Como Park to the 2022 Minnesota State Tournament, finishing third
• Two-time all-state
• 2022 Miss Minnesota Basketball nominee
• 2022 St. Paul Pioneer Press East Metro Player of the Year
• Four-time conference player of the year
• Scored 2,174 points for her career
• 2022 All-American
• 2022 MSHSL All-Star game participant

Hear it from coach: “She is a fierce competitor with extremely high basketball IQ and a heart of a champion. Ronnie will quickly become a fan favorite for her fearless play and innate ability to make those around her better. She will provide critical depth at our point guard.”

New title for Kate Barnosky

• I wasn’t really sure where to put this nugget of info, because it didn’t require its own post, so it’s going to go here, ok? Assistant coach Kate Barnosky was promoted to associate head coach back on April 7. Barnosky came to Madison from Boston University with head coach Marisa Moseley in 2021 and she must be well-liked in the locker room for Moseley to promote her after one year at Wisconsin.