The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association has announced that Natalie Kussow of Arrowhead High School has been named the 2026 Ms. Basketball award-winner.
Kussow has led the Warhawks to the Division 1 state tournament this year against the toughest schedule in the state according to the Bound Power Index. She is averaging 26.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3 steals per game in her senior campaign, as Arrowhead enters the state semifinals with a 26-2 overall record.
The Warhawks have claimed at least a share of three consecutive Classic Eight Conference titles, including a perfect 14-0 mark in league play this season.
Natalie was a key member of Arrowhead’s 2024 Division 1 state title as a sophomore, when she averaged 23 points and seven rebounds per game. Kussow was a WBCA All-State selection as a sophomore and junior after earning honorable mention accolades her freshman season. She has also been a WBCA Academic All-State selection the past three years.
Kussow has more than 2,600 career points entering the state tournament, as she will finish her career in the top five in state history in career scoring.
Natalie will attend the University of Minnesota next year as one of the top recruits in the country in the Class of 2026.
The finalists for Ms. Basketball were Kussow, Giselle Janowski of Pewaukee, Ady Ketterhagen of Oostburg, Mikaia Litza of Wauwatosa East, and Adaline Sheplee of Rice Lake.
For a complete list of past Ms. Basketball award winners, please click here.
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].
