Allie Ziebell’s potential as a basketball player became clear the day she accepted a scholarship offer from UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma.
The Huskies have won 11 national championships since 1995 and remain one of the top teams in the country. The opportunity to become part of that isn’t extended to just anyone.
Ziebell’s production while playing at Neenah High School stood out enough to Auriemma that he needed the 6-foot guard to join him, and that helped propel her to the top of the mountain in state girls basketball.
Ziebell accepted that offer during her junior season and followed that up with a big enough senior campaign to be named the state’s unanimous player of the year by The Associated Press. The award and teams are selected by a panel of state sports writers.
Ziebell earned a spot on the second team as a sophomore and was voted a first-teamer her final two seasons with the Rockets, who were 24-6 and finished as WIAA Division 1 state runner-up after a 69-59 championship loss to Hartland Arrowhead.
Ziebell averaged 27.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and made 51 percent of her field goals. She also made 122 of 272 attempts from the 3-point line for 44.9 percent accuracy and made 87.5 percent of her free throws.
The Rockets beat Hartford 77-70 in the state semifinal round before falling to the Warhawks in the championship game. Ziebell scored 75 points and had 26 rebounds in those games and averaged 36.5 points during sectional and state games this season.
She finished her career with 2,819 points, 859 rebounds and 363 3-pointers.
Ziebell is joined on the first team by Arrowhead sophomore Natalie Kussow, McFarland senior Teagan Mallegni, Verona senior Taylor Stremlow and Pewaukee junior Amy Terrian.
The girls coach of the year is Pewaukee’s Jim Reuter after leading the Pirates (29-1) to their first state championship.
Pewaukee was Division 2 state runner-up to Green Bay Preble in both 2022 and 2023 before facing off with the Tritons again in this year’s title game. Pewaukee beat Notre Dame 60-52 and stopped the Tritons from winning their fourth championship in a row.
The Pirates beat Notre Dame twice this season and added an 80-61 win over Division 1 state champion Arrowhead. Pewaukee also beat Fox Valley Association champion Hortonville and Division 2 sectional finalist McFarland.
Pewaukee’s lone loss came at the hands of Nazareth Academy (Ill.), which won 44-43 and went on to place second in its Class 4A state tournament.
Reuter’s teams have posted a 143-24 record during his six seasons.