GREEN BAY — The UW-Green Bay women’s basketball team is having another great season under head coach Kevin Borseth. They’re tied for first place in the Horizon League and have a very deep roster, as 8 players average 5 points or more per game and one player is always bringing the fire to Phoenix, whether it’s on the bench or on the court.
“Jasmine is a fan favorite, even the young little girls like Jasmine,” said Borseth. “She’s got a lot of energy, very positive energy. Always going, always cheering. Very upbeat.”
Only one college offered Phoenix junior Jasmine Kondrakiewicz the chance to play basketball after she graduated from Pius XI Catholic and that was UWGB.
“People are always like, ‘oh you didn’t get offered by (UW-Milwaukee)?’. It’s like, ‘nope, I’m here, this is where I’m supposed to be’. It’s a little fuel to the fire every time we play other teams, especially local ones. It’s like the (Phoenix) took a chance on me and I’m going to prove them right.”
She is proving the Phoenix right. The junior is having a career year as she’s averaging 8 points and 4 rebounds per game. She was also named Horizon League player of the week for the first time in her career about a month ago. However, no matter what kind of game she’s having, Kondrakiewicz brings her high energy.
"No matter what kind of game she’s having, whether it's good or bad, it’s usually always good but her energy never wavers no matter what,” said Phoenix senior Natalie Andersen.
For Kondrakiewicz, she likes to contribute anywhere she can for her team, whether is be on the court or on the bench.
“There’s nothing more encouraging than seeing people out there and doing good,” she said. “I will sit and cheer on my teammates because it’s just as much fun. If I can lift them up and they can keep playing good, that’s just as much as me being out there.”
It's that kind of mindset that helps Phoenix stay resilient. They’re a group that is as close knit as they come and anyone can step up to have a career night.
“When you can trust people on the court, there’s really no worries in terms of what can happen because you know who's to the left and the right of you and you know who has your back,” said Kondrakiewicz. “You’re on the floor with them so there’s nothing that can break that.”
Borseth praised the way she can relay information to her teammates. Something she similarly plans on doing for a long time as she will be getting her masters degree in applied leadership and teaching in the spring of 2025. She spent this past summer shadowing at a middle school in Oshkosh.
“I really got into and just connecting with kids and building relationships,” said Kondrakiewicz. “I think it’s really important especially at higher poverty schools. I think it’s really important for them to have a role model for someone to look up like that.”
As the only black player on UW-Green Bay, she says being a role model for anyone means a lot.
“If I can talk a little bit about it and encourage the next generation and help kids out and any type of youth looking up to me, I will do just that and if that happens to be a card that plays into it, I will go for it,” Kondrakiewicz said.
