Nebraska’s Kendall Coley (front) and Britt Prince take part in a summer workout last month at Hendricks Training Complex.
Britt Prince could end up being one of the biggest recruits of Amy Williams’ coaching career.
Prince isn’t a recruit anymore, though. She’s a player on the Nebraska women’s basketball team who is now practicing with the Huskers.
Nebraska concluded its summer workouts, which included about 15 practices, last week. That’s in addition to skill sessions and strength and conditioning workouts.
After years of watching Prince play club basketball games with her daughter, and high school games for Elkhorn North, Williams gets an up-close look at what Prince can do with a basketball in her hands.
“I don’t know if it was even possible, but you could say I’m even more excited now that I’ve had the chance to coach her,” Williams said.
ESPN ranked Prince five stars and the No. 25 recruit in the nation. As a senior, she averaged 27 points and six assists per game.
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Williams won’t soon forget one of Prince’s first practices at Nebraska. The coach kept throwing challenges at the players — like shooting floaters around the basket.
“Whatever different thing I threw at them nothing ever looked awkward,” Williams said. “That was kind of an eye-opener for me.”
Last season, Nebraska reached the championship game at the Big Ten Tournament, won a first-round game in the NCAA Tournament and had a 23-12 record.
The Huskers add Prince, return three of their top four scorers (Alexis Markowski, Natalie Potts and Logan Nissley) and get Allison Weidner back from injury.
“We’ve been emphasizing defense and rebounding, and then just becoming the best passing team in the country,” Williams said. “We feel like if we can improve as a passing team that can really impact a lot of things for us.”
Nissley’s recovery
As a freshman last season, Nissley ranked second on the team in 3-pointers with 59 on 39% shooting. Her play was even more impressive when you consider the severe pain in both feet she was playing through — an injury that goes back to high school.
Nissley had surgery on both feet soon after the season ended.
“I think she feels really optimistic about it,” Williams said.
Weidner’s return
Weidner, the guard from Humphrey entering her junior season, is progressing after missing all of last season with a knee injury suffered during preseason practice.
With her ability to drive to the basket and score, Weidner could add a lot to Nebraska’s offense.
“She’s really locked into strength training,” Williams said. “She’s looking strong and looking confident in her movements. Her conditioning has gotten better, and she’s doing a lot of the drill work that we’re doing as a group. Nothing live play just yet, but we think she’s going to be in a good place as we get ready to start.”
Another freshman impresses
The coach is also very excited about freshman forward Amiah Hargrove. From Christopher, Illinois, she averaged 28 points and 10 rebounds as a senior.
“She wants to kick butt,” Williams said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a weight room workout or a skill workout. She’s really motivated.”
Freshman guard Kennadi Williams, the head coach’s eldest daughter, will redshirt her first year due to a knee injury while playing high school soccer.
Nonconference opponents
Nebraska will open the season on Nov. 4 by hosting Omaha.
Other nonconference opponents include Creighton, Georgia Tech, South Dakota, Kansas City, Chattanooga, North Alabama and Southern.
Top Journal Star photos for August 2024
Tae’veon Coleman, 7, (left) waits to cast his line as the sun sets during a Community Lake day hosted by Big Gumdrop Outdoors at Oak Lake Park on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. Big Gumdrop Outdoors, is ,a nonprofit created by Elijah Riley, a Lincoln native and UNL student, to help kids connect with nature and play outside.
Travis Ruel and Alanna White, 9, of Lincoln, interact with Patches, a 1-year-old Catahoula dog, through the glass of her kennel at the Pieloch Pet Adoption Center on Friday. Patches has been at the shelter since June 19. The Capital Humane Society is offering a “Full House” promotion where adoption fees for all dogs are reduced to $100 until Sunday because the shelter is nearly full.
Framed through the grate of a fire pit, Olivia Dagget-Keagle, 9, blows out the fire on her blackened marshmallow during a Community Lake day hosted by Big Gumdrop Outdoors at Oak Lake Park on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. Big Gumdrop Outdoors, is ,a nonprofit created by Elijah Riley, a Lincoln native and UNL student, to help kids connect with nature and play outside.
A bicyclist rides along the Billy Wolff Trail near the Union Plaza Amphitheater on Wednesday. After 13 straight days of highs of 90 degrees or above, including 100 on Monday, a cool front brought relief to Lincoln, with a high of only 75 on Tuesday. Wednesday’s high, which reached into the upper 80s, will likely be the warmest for several days. The National Weather Service forecasts highs in the 70s to around 80 through the weekend, about 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.
Jordan Jones, 6, and her brother Sincere, 7, (from left) react while riding the Super Drop ride at the Heart of America Carnival during the Lancaster County Super Fair at the Sandhills Global Event Center on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Lincoln.
Todd Heiser of Lincoln makes one of five trips of the day to drop off tree debris at a collection site at Holmes Lake Park on Monday. J.J. Yost, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, said the debris drop-off site at Holmes Lake has been one of the busiest — and it’s also one of the smallest. The city has brought equipment to all the drop-off sites to consolidate tree debris. At Holmes Lake, workers also used a grinder to further process debris. Yost said the city is encouraging residents to use other sites, which include Seng Park (south of the ballfields); Woods Park (south lot off of J Street); Oak Lake Park (main lot off of Charleston Street); and Hofeling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court. City parks sites will accept debris until Aug. 19.
Nowear BMX’s Sam Bussell (top right) performs a trick on his bike during a performance at the Sandhills Global Event Center on Saturday.
Wilber native David Rogers, 10 (first right) holds his cousin William Mays, 3, as they dance during the 63rd annual Wilber Czech Festival held in Downtown Wilber on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
A wild horse jumps onto its back as it tries to throw off a rope held by Troy Graybill (from front) Chris Hajek, and Scott Graves as they try to saddle it during the wild horse race a during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
Nebraska Capitol groundskeepers Lexis Funk (left) and Heather Dinslage collect fallen tree branches Thursday in Lincoln.
JC Brager’s Sawyer Bokowski (left) fields a ball as Papillion-La Vista South’s Derek Geist runs to third base during the second inning of a National division Class A Legion baseball tournament game against on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Den Hartog Field.
Harry Tompkin, owner of Palace Glass Co., hands off a piece of stained glass to Kelly Mathes (from left) as they sort through inventory on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Lincoln. After 43 years of creating stained glass, Harry Tompkin plans to close his shop by September. Most of the remaining pieces are rejuvenation projects or those that were planned before his decision to close.
Burwell’s Keelin Swett, 12, blows a bubble with her gum while waiting in the staging area behind the chutes during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
New teachers gather for the Lincoln Public Schools New Educator Kickoff on Monday at Southwest High School.
Bob Swanson uses a chainsaw to clean up large fallen branches after a storm pummeled the city Wednesday in Lincoln.
Quade Peterson of Litchfield is dragged underneath a wild horse while attempting to saddle it in the wild horse race competition during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
Akroyd Darkgrove, played by Shade Ingraham (left), has popcorn thrown at him by Jacob Parman, 7, of Fargo, North Dakota, during a performance of “Phantom of Darkgrove” at the Denman and Mary Mallory Kountze Memorial Theatre at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in July. Audience interaction is a big part of what makes the melodramas at the park special, crew members said. The crowd is encouraged to respond vocally to musical cues throughout the play and throw popcorn at the villain.
Noah Wong, 7, unzips backpacks for the assembly line to place school supplies inside it during Spreetail’s annual Back(Pack) to School Event on Friday.
Nebraska Volleyball head coach John Cook poses for a photo in front of the chutes before the Grand Entry on the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
Matt Rhule (center) leads a group of participants inside to cool off during his “She’s Got Game” girls football camp on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
Nazar Durzhynskyi, 9, focuses on keeping the ball off the ground using his racket while participating in a practice drill during a tennis camp held for Ukrainian children at Woods Tennis Center on Thursday.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.
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