MOVING ON.

NIU Announces Change in Leadership of Women's Basketball Program.

We could see that coming for some time.  As did Northern Star writers.  "The decision comes after a fruitless season with an overall record of 13-17, ending 6-12 in Mid-American Conference play."  That "fruitless season" was characteristically middling.  "[Lisa] Carlsen had a pair of winning seasons, going 19-13 in 2018-19 and 21-12 in 2016-17, her second year in the program."  That second year?

[T]he last time the Lady Huskies came within sniffing distance of the big dance, it was in the spring of 2017, and Toledo overcame (does this sound familiar) a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the Mid-American tournament.  Kathi Bennett recruited Kelly Smith, Mikayla Voigt, and Courtney Woods, and they were better suited to a faster tempo game than any Bennett coached team would ever display, and they were pretty good in the classroom as well.

The last of the Kathi Bennett recruits graduated at the end of the 2019-2020 season, during which several promising young recruits got a good deal of playing time.  Between the corona shutdowns and injuries, those players got a participation trophy to shine up in 2023.  "Northern Illinois University's women's basketball team got off to a good start last November, and despite reverting to their usual form during conference play received an invitation to a tournament held at Transylvania University in Kentucky, where they lost three games."  The athletics department have a little pride left: there was never a banner raised in the arena calling attention to that tournament.

The coach's daughter Lexi has been involved with the team from the beginning, initially as Mom's errand runner and latterly, having developed a pretty good jump shot, as shooting guard with, for now, Northern Illinois.

As for the future of her daughter, freshman guard Lexi Carlsen, Lisa Carlsen hinted at a chance of a departure.

“It’s time for Lex (Lexi Carlsen) and me to begin a new journey. The friendships and connections we’ve formed here will always remain a part of our lives,” Lisa Carlsen said.

Lexi Carlsen averaged 8.4 points per game this season after starting 24 games for NIU.

That was a good enough performance to impress the conference.  Chelby Koker, Lexi Carlsen Earn All-MAC Honors.  Specifically, Lexi on the All-Freshman team and Chelby on the All-MAC third team, earning such honors in four seasons.  She was one of those promising recruits, finishing this season with several degrees earned, a season or two lost to injury, and a corona year redshirt.

There will be a new coach and a new team to play one more season in the Mid-American.

There are seasons when following the collection of honor students comprising the Lady Huskies is like that.  As conference play got under way, it was all about missing the shift and the blocks hanging up.  "At best, that team is consistently inconsistent and consistently at the bottom of the conference standings.  Enough, academic performance notwithstanding."

Whether the changes in the locker room and in conference affiliation will matter is yet to be determined.  "Personnel is policy, and it appears the policy at Northern Illinois is middling mediocrity in the most middling mid-major Mid American.  Not the kind of value proposition to get more butts in seats."