Who is Maddy Siegrist? A Look at Her Basketball Career

Maddy Siegrist is a new sapling under the large umbrella tree of the WNBA. She has spent two seasons in the league as a basketball player while playing for the Dallas Wings. However, the spark that she is currently displaying at the highest level of competition in women’s basketball is something that she started conditioning early in her life. Even during her spare time, she loved to experience the highest form of basketball at the collegiate level. That’s why she used to visit the games of famous college teams like UConn and South Carolina.

There was a time when Maddy Siegrist met Breanna Stewart in her life. Recalling her dream meet, she once said to the Times Union, “I actually met Breanna Stewart. I have a picture of it, I’m thinking I was about 15 or 16 years old.” Time passed, and now she is part of the upcoming generation of basketball players and is ready to lead into the future. How did she make it this far? Let’s give a tour of Maddy Siegrist’s childhood life and her basketball ambitions after growing up.

Early Life and High School Achievements

Maddy Siegrist was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. She was one of the four children of George and Ginna Siegrist. However, there is no particular information available about her parents and what role did they played in the introduction of basketball in the life of Maddy. Also, it is known that the WNBA prodigy attended the Our Lady of Lourdes High School for her early education and basketball career.

It was an exponential growth chart for Maddy Siegrist during her high school basketball career. From her junior year itself, she started making waves as she averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists per game. Her incredible contribution to the team led her High School girls’ team to the Section Class AA Semifinals. That’s why she also earned a spot as the Poughkeepsie Journal Player of the Year. The streak continued in her senior year of high school as well. She dished out about 32.7 points and 13.1 rebounds per game on the stat chart, defying the stereotypes of a high school basketball player.

Her staggering numbers were enough to gather the attention of the prominent collegiate basketball opportunities for Maddy Siegrist. However, she decided to go with the Villanova Wildcats to pursue her basketball ambitions and take them to new heights.

College Career and Standout Stats

The debut of Maddy Siegrist into collegiate basketball is a dream of many basketball passionates in the women’s category. The 6’2″ forward started in 28 games out of 31 season games in which she played for the Villanova Team. She was leading the team in terms of points and rebounds. Surprisingly, she did it all while learning and performing in her freshman season. Some of the accolades that she accumulated due to her outstanding performance on the court in her freshman season can be given below:

• Named unanimous BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
• First team All-Conference
• Garnered Big 5 Rookie of the Year honors
• First-team All-Big 5 distinction
• Second highest scoring freshman in the country with her 18.8 points per game average
• Named one of the top 10 freshmen in the country by ESPN.com

In a collegiate school with powerhouse students, Maddy Siegrist maintained her record production on the court. She secured the 11th spot in the country in terms of points scoring. Here are some of the prime achievements of Maddy Siegrist during her Sophomore season, as per Villanova Women’s Basketball‘s official site:

• Garnered first-team All-BIG EAST honors
• Named first-team All-Philadelphia Big 5
• The Big 5 Player of the Year
• Earned USBWA Honorable Mention All-American accolades
• Was one of five finalists for the Katrina McClain Award given to the top power forward in the country
• Became the fastest player in program history (50 games) to score 1,000 points and just the third player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in two seasons
• Became the third player in BIG EAST history to lead the league in both scoring and rebounding
• Led the BIG EAST in double-doubles with 13
• Third player in school history to register 500 career rebounds in two seasons

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In her junior season, Maddy Siegrist was leading from the upfront as she started 27 games. She was a double-double specialist on the team, recording 12 double-doubles during her junior season. Here are some additional achievements of her junior basketball season at Villanova:

• Scored double figures in points in all 27 games
• BIG EAST Player of the Year
• USBWA third-team All-American
• Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year
• Led the BIG EAST and ranked second in the country in scoring
• Registered 21, 20-point games
• Set the Villanova junior class record for points in a season with 684…Ranks third in school history in scoring entering the 2022-23 season with 1,815 points and sixth in rebounding with 761 rebounds
• Started all 27 games she played in and averaged 25.3 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per contest in 36.1 minutes per game
• Shot .493 from the field (256-of-519), .346 from three-point range (53-of-153) and .821 from the foul line (119-of-145)

Maddy Siegrist learned to mix her large frame with her agility during her collegiate career. That’s why she was able to maintain a balance between the paint scoring and shooting from the three-point line on the court.

The same streak on the court was continued during the senior year of Maddy Siegrist. Let’s take a look at the accolades that Maddy garnered during her senior year playing for her collegiate team:

• Associated Press, WBCA Coaches All-American
• USBWA First Team All-American and John R. Wooden All-American Team selection
• 2023 Katrina McClain Award Winner
• Greenville Regional 2 All-Tournament Team
• BIG EAST Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• 2023 Naismith Player of the Year and Wade Trophy Finalist
• Named to the Wooden Award and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason watch lists
• Became Villanova’s all-time leading scorer with a jumper at the 6:35 mark of the fourth quarter at Creighton, where she ended the night with 23 points scored
• She finished her career with 2,896 points to her name
• Became the fifth player in Division I women’s basketball history to score 1,000 points in a season in the NCAA First Round win over Cleveland State

Joining the Dallas Wings

Maddy Siegrist debuted as the third overall pick in the Dallas Wings team of the WNBA in 2023. The 6’2″ forward played 39 games in the season, but she could just average 8.2 minutes of playing time on the court. That’s why she only averaged 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists with a 50.9% FG percentage. Unfortunately, she could not start in any game during the whole season.

She was aiming to continue the 2024 season in full stride. However, due to injury, she could only play 27 games, averaging 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Still, she is slowly making her spot on the team more impactful as days pass by.

Initial Impact with the Dallas Wings

The first season was more of a learning arc for Maddy Siegrist as she confessed to the Times Union, “I wouldn’t be playing the way I’m playing right now without last year. You just learn a lot. In your first year it’s so fast coming from the college season as we’re seeing this year with all the young rookies. It’s just such a quick turnaround and there’s so much to learn.”

The Dallas Wings even moved to the playoffs due to her rookie contribution to the team. In her 2024 season, Maddy Siegrist was out of the Dallas squad due to her broken finger. Ultimately, she made a return on the court in August 2024. The season was more impressive than her previous season, but it was confined due to her injury status. However, the tides are expected to turn in the upcoming season.

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Notable Achievements and Playing Style

The structure of Maddy Siegrist’s game is indeed very versatile: a very high basketball IQ coupled with a relentless competitive spirit. She has a comprehensive canvas of shooting skills, rebounds very effectively, and even has a knack for making key defensive stops. To a certain extent, Maddy’s playing style is reminiscent of some of the all-time greats in the WNBA. She creates opportunities to score by either driving to the basket or making mid-range shots. Therefore, she is a threat almost every time she touches the basketball. Defensively, her timing and quickness allow her to guard multiple positions, thus establishing her as a complete two-way player.

Below is a table highlighting her key professional milestones to date:

• Katrina McClain Award (2023)
• WBCA Coaches’ All-American (2023)
• First-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2023)
• Third-team All-American – AP, USBWA (2022)
• 2× Big East Player of the Year (2022, 2023)
• 4× First-team All-Big East (2020–2023)
• Big East Freshman of the Year (2020)
• Big East All-Freshman Team (2020)
• NCAA season scoring leader (2023)

Will Maddy Siegrist Help Shape the Future of the Dallas Wings in 2025?

Maddy Siegrist has been proving her mettle as she has achieved a remarkable milestone by being the third pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. This is indeed something that is worth all her hard work and talent in the long term. The team that has had their sight on Maddy for months now has seen her as a game-changer who would usher in a new era into the franchise, the Dallas Wings.

Projections for Her Future Contributions

That said, the long-term projections for Siegrist’s career will seem to point toward superstardom. Analysts have touted her becoming a perennial All-Star and central figure in the Dallas Wings’ lineup. Her leadership qualities and work ethic in improving herself as an athlete will make certain she can sustain that success under the pressure of professional play.

Her game not only maddens the WNBA but also something outside the court, for she is one of the icons that would inspire the coming generation, claim her spot in the greats of the league, and further develop the game.

Conclusion

Maddy Siegrist has come a long way when it comes to her basketball development. She earned her spot as the third overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft and then as an impact starter in the Dallas Wings. However, she is still on a learning curve in the league right now. The Hoopers may expect great things from the Wings forward in the future. But she is yet to learn from the greats of the game.

So, the fans who are hoping for an immediate impact from Maddy Siegrist might have to wait for some seasons down the league. Nevertheless, the 6’2″ forward might be up for a big show in the upcoming seasons.