Marquette women’s basketball’s H.E.A.R.T. culture fuels rare transfer-free offseason

MILWAUKEE– Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 NCAA women’s basketball season, 1,418 players have entered the transfer portal. None of them were from Marquette. In fact, the Golden Eagles, led by reigning Big East Coach of the Year Cara Consuegra, were the only Division I women’s basketball program to return every player from last season’s roster.

“Our number one goal the first year was our culture and our foundation, and we wanted to make sure we gave our kids a great experience and we did that very well,” Consuegra said at Marquette’s media day late last month. “And our players allowed us to do that. They bought in, they believed in our culture of playing with heart, they believed in our principles, and because of that we had an enjoyable year. But they all want to continue to be a part of this. I think it’s a great credit to our players, it’s a great credit to our coaching staff. We have a great group of kids and coaches that believe in each other.”

When Marquette hired Consuegra (who had been an assistant coach with the program from 2004 to 2011) as its new head coach in the spring of 2024, then-athletic director Bill Scholl praised her “acute appreciation of the values ​​that make the university and the women’s basketball program special.” Marquette wanted not only a coach, but also a leader. “Essentially, she is interested in the holistic development, on and off the field, of the young women she will mentor and that reflects the university’s approach,” Scholl added.

The culture that Consuegra has created is built on HEART: enthusiasm, effort, responsibility, respect and tenacity.

These are not mindless platitudes, but core values ​​that drive the program. Before each season, Consuegra and her team host a HEART workshop to give everyone the opportunity to explain what each of the letters means to them. (This year’s closing activity was a scavenger hunt through Milwaukee, which fifth-year senior Abbey Cracknell sheepishly admitted was won by a group of coaches.)

On a daily basis, the principles are reinforced on their HEART board after practice. The entire group comes together and each player or staff member has the opportunity to give a player (or players) a heart for showing effort, effort, responsibility, respect or tenacity. When a player receives a heart, they can walk to the board and place it next to their name while the team takes it. Public exhibition helps build community and good habits.

“The way [Consuegra] “She builds relationships, makes practice and games and everything super fun, but she is also able to hold us very accountable and help us improve,” fifth-year senior Lee Volker said. “I think those things combined brought everyone back.”

The Golden Eagles went 21-11 last season, but had to settle for a bid to the women’s BIT, where they were eliminated in the second round by James Madison in overtime. Star forward Skylar Forbes said the team is “very deeply rooted” in its “one common goal” of returning to the NCAA Tournament this season, and will rely on its continuity to get there.

Volker said having 12 players is a “huge advantage”, while Cracknell added “it really helps” because “we know what coach Cara is looking for and how to execute it”. Volker and Cracknell weren’t sure if they would return and actually held their Senior Day last season, just in case. Eventually, the best friends were granted a fifth year of eligibility and jumped at the chance to wear the blue and gold for one more season. Consuegra is delighted to have them. “Abbey is by far our best leader,” Consuegra said. “Lee is also a very good leader and has a lot of experience.”

Even though the real games don’t start until Monday, when they host Winthrop, having so many familiar faces is already paying off on the field. Consuegra said the preseason had gone “a lot smoother” than usual and his players were “really confident” heading into the season.

“We know our rotations, we know our plan, we know where we’re supposed to be and these types of reps help us get up to where we want to go,” Consuegra continued.

Cracknell noted that their camaraderie “allows us to show up for each other on the field, to play hard for each other, to dive on those loose balls, [play] help the assistant defense, all those little things. “This type of bond can only be forged over time and through shared moments like HEART workshops and visits to Kopp’s, a local custard stand that is a team favorite. “Knowing that the person next to you is going to give you their best, you’re going to give it back to them,” Cracknell said.

The power of friendship is real, but it still takes skill. The good news is that there are plenty of them in Milwaukee.

Forbes, a first-team All-Big East honoree last season as a sophomore, was named to the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year preseason watch list. The 6-foot-3 versatile forward is one of five players from outside the Power 4 conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) on the list, and the fourth player in Marquette history to earn the recognition. She was also named to the 2025-26 preseason All-Big East team along with Volker and Halle Vice. Marquette hasn’t had this many players on the preseason honor roll since the 2018-19 season, which happens to be the last time they won the Big East and the last time they won a game in the NCAA Tournament.

Marquette was picked to finish second in the Big East in the preseason coaches’ poll, behind only defending national champions UConn. No one expects the Golden Eagles to knock the Huskies out of first place, but this is one of the most talented and experienced teams Marquette has ever had, and with that comes real expectations, both internally and externally.

“I told the team that last year we didn’t care where we were picked, why do we suddenly care now?” » said Consuegra. “It doesn’t matter to us. What matters to us is our circle and everyone inside our circle. We have high expectations for ourselves… Every day is about getting better, it’s about focusing on all the little things that brought us success last year. Those are our values, that’s our culture, those are our winning games. If we keep our minds on the right things, we can have a truly successful year.”

The culture at Marquette brought everyone back. Now, can this help them win?

“I think as long as we’re playing Marquette basketball and with HEART, it’s going to be pretty tough to beat us,” Cracknell said.