To: Lady Griz fans; From: Madi

Dear friends, family and Lady Griz Nation,

I remember as a young kid when asked what I was planning on studying in college, my immediate response would be "basketball." Now obviously I would not have known the difference at a young age, but it has always been my dream to play college ball. The game has taken me more places than I could have ever imagined and blessed me with so many opportunities.

One of the things I am most thankful for is how the game provided me with an education. When starting college, I wasn't sure what I was going to do after basketball was over, but I quickly found that I have a great passion for working with kids through all the camps I had worked and volunteer hours in the local elementary schools. Knowing this, I pursued my degree in elementary education so I can work with students and see them succeed as a career. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education K-8 last spring and began graduate school in Educational Leadership with still another year to go. As much as it hurts to say that I may not be able to identify as a basketball player after this year, I am just as excited to identify myself as an educator and coach and still be able to inspire those around me.

The last five years has brought me many blessings, along with many hardships. I battled an injury every year, from a kidney infection that led to surgery, a broken foot, a broken finger, extruded discs in my lower back, the many severe ankle injuries, etc. I haven't felt completely healthy since my freshman year but that is one of the lessons I learned as a college athlete. There is adversity everywhere in life, and this chronic battle with injuries has taught me how to push through and overcome the exhaustion of pain and obstacles. I kept telling myself that next season I would be back and better than ever, but I would always start the season one step behind with some event that took me out for varying amounts of time. I wish that I could keep going and have one last final healthy year, but I just think my body has taken its fair share with the rigors of college basketball.

I would like to thank my family, my immediate support who believed in me and my goals since the beginning. Mom and dad, thank you for driving me to endless sports events, buying me gear, pushing me through tough losses and celebrating my achievements. To my younger sister, Mikayla, you spent more time in a gym than you probably would have liked. You also, until this year, were the first person outside of every locker room to give me my first hug. And to my Nana and Papa, Grandpa Jack, Grandma Kate and Moko, I want to thank you for chasing me all over to support whatever activity I was participating in. I wouldn't be where I am or who I am without each of you and your unconditional love and support. Thank you.

La Griz. My team. My sisters. Thank you for the last five years of loving me, pushing me and laughing with me. I've read from coaches all over the nation that they are proud of the athletes competing during this time, and I would agree. Ladies, you have been incredible to play with by showing true resiliency in a delayed start to the season, long practices, canceled games and all the virus testing. I never would have thought I would be finishing my career during a pandemic but you all went to battle with me every day and I can't think of a better group to have by my side. The memories I will remember most will be the locker room dance parties, the bus rides, team dinners and building forever-friendships. I can't wait for reunions to relive the memories over and over and to cheer on the current Lady Griz like the alumni have been doing for us all year.

To my coaches. First, thank you to my first AAU coach for patiently coaching a group of fourth grade girls to teach us the fundamentals. Thank you to my summer AAU coach for teaching me most of what I know about the game and pushing me to be the player I am today. Thank you to my high school coaches who blessed me with the opportunity to grow into my potential and guiding me to become the future coach I will be. And thank you to my college coaches for recruiting and bringing me into a historic program that put women's basketball on the map for all of us small-town kids in the northwest.

To Jace, thank you for being the one who was a role model for me on the court for years and now I get to look up to as a leader. To Nate, thank you for being the guy who doesn't let a day go by without making us better and yelling at us to wake up even though it may be three in the afternoon. To Jordan, thank you for being one who cares so deeply for everybody and who has pushed me to be better on the court, in the classroom and in life. And to Mike, thank you for being the one who has been there since the start and fought through all the highs and lows right by my side for which I am grateful. Thank you to you four who brought this team from, quite literally, all over the world and made us one heck of a team to be reckoned with.

To JC Weida, as my athletic trainer we spent lots of time together. You always joked I kept you in business with the amount of treatment or tape I needed over the years. Now this year, in the middle of a pandemic, you had our backs in taking care of our injuries but also all the mandates with the virus. Thank you for always being there and showing up with a smile on your face.

I would also like to thank the equipment room staff. I will always remember how you genuinely care and follow every athlete that you encounter. And I want you to know how much we appreciate you going above and beyond if you don't already hear enough thank-yous from us.

And lastly, I want to thank you, Griz Nation, for your overwhelming support of the Lady Griz. I can think back to my first maroon silver scrimmage freshman year where thousands of you filled the gym and I immediately knew this was a special place. I know you couldn't be with us physically in the gym this year, but we felt your support in many other ways. No one will quite understand how much of an impact you make on our experience.

I ended my pre-season letter to Griz nation with "I am looking forward to representing the program that has helped make me who I am for my last year. There is no other place I'd rather be than in Missoula, Montana, to be able to give back everything that it has given me." I hope that I was able to give back to the program and do just that. This place has a reputation of being a storied basketball program, and I am thankful I was able to be a part of its history.

After this season, I am looking forward to coming back and cheering on the future Lady Griz teams alongside the incredible fan base in Dahlberg Arena and hope to see the familiar faces that we missed seeing in the gym this season.

As always, go Lady Griz!

With love,
Madi

University of Montana Athletics

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