WBB: 2025 PG Nikki Kerstein commits to Wisconsin
Formerly a Mizzou commit, Kerstein follows Robin Pingeton to Madison and announced her commitment to UW on Wednesday.
Just over a week ago, the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team found themselves with zero members of their 2025 recruiting class. Now? They have one! While that might not sound like a big leap, bringing 2025 point guard Nikki Kerstein into the fold should be considered a minor coup for Robin Pingeton and staff.
Kerstein originally committed to Pingeton when she was the head coach at Mizzou, but de-committed a few weeks after Pingeton took the Wisconsin job. While she didn’t announce her commitment to the Badgers until April 30, Kerstein tells me that she wasted little time signing up with UW after leaving Mizzou, saying she picked Wisconsin “shortly” after de-committing.
"I am extremely grateful and excited to become a Badger!" Kerstein said. "I cannot wait to make some great memories!"
Nikki Kerstein Fast Facts
Height: 5-foot-8
Position: point guard
Eligibility: four years remaining
High School: Montini Catholic (Ill.) High School (junior/senior); Deerfield (Ill.) High School (freshman/sophomore)
AAU Team: Mac Irvin (Ill.) Lady Fire
Hometown: Lombard, Ill.
Rankings: Prep Girls Hoops No. 5 player in Illinois (No. 2 PG)
Other Offers: Mizzou (previously committed), Ball State, Central Michigan, Evansville, Green Bay, Harvard, Kent State, Loyola (Ill.), Milwaukee, Ohio, Vermont, Penn, Southern Indiana, UIC, Yale
Fun Facts: older sister plays basketball for Vermont Catamounts; mom played ball at UIC; dad played at Harper College; she has played for the Greek National Team at the U16 and U18 levels
Nikki Kerstein Honors
IBCA All-State (4x)
First Team (junior, senior)
Second Team (sophomore)
Honorable Mention (freshman)
2025 IHSA 3A Player of the Year (state POTY as voted on by media)
2025 Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Team
2025 IHSA 3A State Champion (Montini Catholic)
2024 IHSA 3A Third Place (Montini Catholic)
2023 IHSA 3A Fourth Place (Deerfield)
IHSA Career Top-20
most steals (18th)
most assists (T-19th)
Nikki Kerstein Stats
2,195 career points
18.4 ppg (senior season)
528 career rebounds
4.9 rpg (senior season)
644 career assists
3.4 apg (senior season)
116 career blocks
537 career steals
3.4 spg (senior season)
Nikki Kerstein Scouting Report
Kerstein appears to be a player who is ready for prime time. In the Illinois 3A State Championship game back in March, Kerstein scored a game-high 21 points, including five in the final 77 seconds, as her team won the title by six over St. Ignatius. She also had five boards, five steals, a pair of assists, and made 12-of-13 from the free throw line.
Does this automatically mean she’ll lead Wisconsin to a Big Ten Title? Well, no…but I’d much rather have a player like Kerstein on my team than on the other one.
Kerstein is a point guard and she describes herself as “pass first.” Wisconsin has had solid play at the one over the past three seasons with Ronnie Porter, a fellow pass first floor general, running the offense and bringing in a freshman to learn under her is an ideal situation for UW.
“[I’m] so happy to see Ronnie stay,” Kerstein told me over Twitter direct messages. “She is a great player that has a big impact on this team. She will be a great resource as I navigate to this next level. Experience cannot be replaced. With experience comes wisdom, which I hope to incorporate into my game.”
While watching some of her highlights I loved how she always keeps her head up, whether on offense or defense. After securing a steal she immediately looks up the court to see if one of her teammates is leaking out for a fast-break. If so, she is able to throw long hit-ahead passes to her teammates in stride. Kerstein also has active hands on defense and is able to swipe at the ball without fouling. She has a good looking jumper which she can get up off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations.
There will be a steep learning curve, as there is for almost all freshmen, but Kerstein appears to be the type of player that will be able to adjust quickly and give Wisconsin quality minutes off the bench in her first year.
Nikki Kerstein Quotes
I asked Kerstein a couple of questions that didn’t really fit into the flow of a scouting report article and weren’t long enough for a separate post so, uh, here they are!
BBK: During your recruitment what drew you to Coach Pingeton and her style of play?
NK: “Coach P is so authentic and genuine. She always made me feel confident in my play. Her style on the court allows for endless creativity to happen. That is a point guards dream, to be able to create. I wanted to play at a school where I was needed and Coach P did just that.”
BBK: How would you describe your game and what will Wisconsin fans like most about it?
NK: “I am a pass first point guard. I love setting my teammates up for success. I am a team player. When the Badgers win a game, we all win.”
BBK: Coming from the Chicago suburbs, have you been to Madison before? What do you like about the city/campus?
NK: “I've visited UW a few times for camps and always felt right at home. The campus is beautiful and the people are very welcoming.”