Women’s College basketball has rapidly become one of the most watched sports in the country, and Naperville North alum Greta Kampschroeder has been in the middle of that meteoric rise in popularity. This Where Are They Now segment is presented by Grow Sports Psychology.
Greta Kampschroeder plays on the biggest and brightest stage for women’s sports
The University of Michigan senior has played in multiple top-25 matchups and has gone head-to-head with some of the best to ever play in the NCAA.
“I absolutely love it, It’s so fun. I think when you’re younger, you kind of dream of having those big games in those big matchups,” said Kampschroeder.
Since her freshman year in 2021, Kampschroeder has played against NCAA greats like Iowa legend Caitlin Clark, and Cameron Brink from Stanford.
“Even going back to last year, we played Iowa and Caitlin Clark when she broke the scoring record. She broke it against us,” Kampschroeder added. “You know, you’re kind of wanting to stop this girl from scoring. But at the same time, it was kind of a surreal moment of being in that game and, you know, playing in front of that huge crowd and just being a part of history in a small way.”
Kampschroeder has been a factor in some big-time wins, including Michigan beating sixth-ranked North Carolina her sophomore season. On Friday, December 20, she scored a career-high 23 points against Akron, on an impressive 9/16 shooting, including 5/9 from three-point range.
Transforming into a versatile player for Naperville North basketball and in college
At Naperville North, Greta was a standout as soon as she took the court as a freshman. She eventually earned four All-State selections and helped the Huskies earn DVC and regional championships in 2020. By her senior season, she had developed into one of the best players in the country. The Huskie was named to the McDonald’s All-American team. She simply dominated, averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds per game during her senior campaign.
She began her collegiate career at Oregon State, starting all but six games as a freshman. As one of the youngest on the court, she primarily played along the wing and often defended the opposing team’s best player.
After being named to the honorable mention All-Pac-12 Freshman Team, Kampschroeder decided to transfer. She found her new home at the University of Michigan. With a year of NCAA experience under her belt, the Naperville North alum once again had to adapt to a new system and redefine her role to help her team.
“I think growing up, I was lucky enough to have coaches that kind of put me in a lot of different positions to become more of a versatile player so that once I did get to the collegiate level, I was ready to step into whatever role was needed on my team,” said Kampschroeder.
“Even the past couple of years, like my sophomore year, and junior year, I was still trying to figure it out and learn how can I essentially be valuable on the team in different ways,” said Kampschroeder.
Greta Kampschroeder’s role with the University of Michigan
A sharpshooter since high school, Kampschroeder’s role as a sophomore and junior at Michigan mostly came from off the bench and at the guard position. Last season, she connected on 38% of her threes, second-best for the Wolverines.
Kampschroeder has started every game this season and continues to play as a guard but finds herself in yet another new role. After multiple Wolverine forwards graduated in the spring, she’s been asked to defend the opposing team’s biggest player.
“I’m still playing as a guard, but at the same time, I’m having to guard the five (center), I’m having to rim run, and all of that,” said Kampschroeder. “I found that I can have an advantage in certain ways in that aspect. So, yeah, my role has developed over time. It changes as our roster changes, changes game by game, and whatever’s needed on the team.”
Going up against the nation’s best every night – Including Naperville area athletes
“Even yesterday (Dec. 17 vs Oklahoma), I had to guard an All-American post player who’s six-four, bigger than me, and super duper strong,” said Kampschroeder. “That was my role, I had to go into that game and I had to buy into that.”
Night in and night out, the Naperville native is playing against the best talent in the country inside the Big Ten Conference. Three former Benet Redwings have faced Kampschroeder in conference play, including Brooke Schramek for Wisconsin, and Kendall Moriarty for Nebraska. She has also played against her friend and former travel teammate, Lenee Beaumont, who is now at Indiana.
Once the season ends, Kampschroeder will have played at least three Pre-Season First-Team All-Americans and one Second-Team All-American.
What’s next after Greta Kampschroeder graduates?
When she graduates, the Wolverine will look to play at the next level.
“Right now the goal is to play basketball professionally,” said Kampschroeder. “I would love to try and go overseas and play.”
Following her final dribble, Greta Kampschroeder will be looking for a career in the sports world.
“I’m studying sports management right now, so there’s a lot of different avenues you can go with sports management,” said Kampschroeder. “But I love data analytics, and I would love to work for a professional sports team in the analytics department.”
Whatever company or team secures Kampschroeder’s talents will gain a dedicated and adaptable athlete who will buy into whatever role is needed. It’s just what the Naperville native has done since her freshman year of high school.
Photo and Video Courtesy: Michigan Athletics and Blake Hornstein – WHBF
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