When Cara Consuegra took over as head coach of Marquette women’s basketball in April 2024, she walked into a program in flux. Three key players had entered the transfer portal, including junior guard Lee Volker, and the roster had been thinned to just five scholarship players.
It was a pivotal moment-one that could have sent the Golden Eagles into a full rebuild. But Consuegra had other plans.
Her first major win didn’t come on the court-it came in the locker room. Convincing Volker to stay was the first building block in what’s become a remarkably stable and unified team.
Not only did Volker withdraw from the portal, but a year later, Marquette didn’t lose a single player to graduation or transfer. That’s not just rare in today’s college basketball landscape-it’s unheard of.
In fact, Marquette is the only Division I team this season to return every player from its 2024-25 roster.
“It was really special,” Consuegra said. “You can’t take it for granted in this day and age when kids stay.”
That continuity is paying dividends. Marquette heads into Wednesday night’s matchup against No.
1 UConn with a 7-3 record and a clear identity. Picked to finish second in the Big East behind the Huskies, the Golden Eagles are expected to be UConn’s toughest conference test.
And while history hasn’t been kind-UConn holds a 22-1 all-time record against Marquette-this version of the Golden Eagles is built differently.
Consuegra, who previously spent 13 seasons as head coach at Charlotte and was an assistant at Marquette from 2004 to 2011, returned to Milwaukee with a clear vision. She wanted to build a program rooted in culture and connection. With half the roster gone when she arrived, her first priority was simple: keep the right people and build from there.
Volker’s return was the first domino. From there, Consuegra implemented her system and instilled a set of core values-heart, effort, accountability, respect, and toughness.
Those aren’t just buzzwords on a locker room wall. They’ve become the foundation of a team that plays with purpose and pride.
“Our kids really bought into that,” Consuegra said. “They’re not just words. There’s a lot of care and belief behind those things.”
That belief has translated into real growth. Volker, for example, has blossomed under Consuegra’s leadership.
After averaging just 3.5 points per game as a junior, she jumped to 12.6 last season. This year, she’s holding steady at 11.9 points per game, forming a dynamic trio alongside Halle Vice (13.2) and forward Skylar Forbes (15.8).
That trio has anchored a starting five that’s remained intact for 26 straight games dating back to last January.
The consistency has allowed Marquette to build on last season’s progress instead of starting over. In an era where roster turnover is the norm, that kind of stability is a competitive advantage-and a testament to the culture Consuegra is building.
“One of the things we say all the time is, ‘Play for and with each other,’” Consuegra said. “That’s hard to build these days because of how transactional college athletics has become.
But we’re not a transactional program. Our kids want to be great individually, but they really want to be great together.”
That togetherness will be tested in Hartford, where UConn awaits. The Huskies are 10-0 and look every bit the powerhouse they’ve always been, even after losing Paige Bueckers to the WNBA. Consuegra, who faced UConn twice last season and twice during her playing days at Iowa, knows exactly what kind of challenge lies ahead.
“I want to be tested by the best,” she said. “And I think Geno [Auriemma] is the best coach in the country. The job he’s done through the years is tremendous.”
She’s not alone in embracing the challenge. Her players are fired up for the opportunity to face the sport’s gold standard. It’s the kind of matchup that sharpens a team’s identity-and reveals just how far it’s come.
Marquette and UConn both rank among the top 15 nationally in 3-point shooting and assists per game. The Golden Eagles are fifth in the country from beyond the arc, hitting nearly 40% of their threes, while the Huskies lead the nation with 24.2 assists per game. It’s a clash of two teams that share the ball and shoot it well-but Consuegra knows UConn’s defense is the real separator.
“People love to talk about how beautiful their offense is,” she said. “But the last two years, I’ve been really impressed by their defense.
It’s smothering. Last year, we struggled just getting to our spots to run offense.
That’s the biggest concern. Trying to guard them is a whole other battle.”
Still, this Marquette team is better equipped than it was a year ago. The chemistry is stronger, the system more refined, and the belief more deeply rooted. That’s what happens when a team sticks together-and buys in.
Consuegra’s first year in the Big East forced her to grow quickly. The league is deeper and more competitive than the American Athletic Conference, where she coached at Charlotte. But the challenge has only fueled her.
“I think just the opportunity to go against [Auriemma] makes me better, helps me grow, helps me learn,” she said. “And that’s important to me.”
Wednesday night in Hartford, the Golden Eagles won’t just be playing against UConn. They’ll be measuring themselves against the standard. And thanks to a year of continuity, culture, and belief, they’ll be doing it on solid ground.