Women's Basketball | 9/24/2026 8:59:00 AM

La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's basketball head coach Moran Lonning has been named the YWCA of La Crosse 2026 Empowering Women Award honoree, announced on Wednesday by the organization. 


The Empowering Women award is a part of the YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women awards banquet. The YWCA recognizes women and young leaders who are making a lasting impact across the Coulee Region. Along with the Empowering Women Award, the YWCA will also award the Emerging Leader Award (Isabel Ortiz), Trailblazer Award (Allison Krzych), Legacy Award (June Reinert) and Eliminating Racism Award (Dr. Sara Docan-Morgan).

The banquet will take place on November 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Court Above Main, a historic building that once served as YWCA La Crosse's home in the early 1900s.

Coach Lonning was nominated for the Empowering Women award by Tony Ayala, Co-Founder of Bubba's Fund. According to the email announcement from the YWCA, Lonning is being recognized for her "commitment to developing young women as confident leaders, both on and beyond the basketball court. Through her mentorship, emphasis on personal growth and community service, and efforts to create opportunities for young people through Bubba's Fund, Lonning has empowered the women she coaches to recognize their own potential and use their influence to make a difference in the lives of others." 

Bubba's fund is a charitable fund created in loving memory of Charlie Lonning Weber, affectionately called "Bubba." Charlie was the son of Coach Lonning and Alex Weber, who unexpectedly passed away at just three months old. According to Bubba's Fund website, their mission is to "exist to help communities, do right for children, open doors for youth, and turn love into action thru projects that create real,. measurable impact." Since December of 2025, Bubba's Fund along with their partners have focused on two initiatives. Initiative one raised funds to provide AEDs to every state-licensed childcare center in La Crosse. Initiative 2 was to help provide youth with access to sports. This initiative is in partnership with Rising Athletes, a local nonprofit organization that helps increase youth access to sports.  

Coach Lonning is entering her fourth season as the head coach of the Eagles. The upcoming season will look for Lonning and the Eagles to build off their historic 2025-26 season which saw the Eagles advance to the programs first ever National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Quarterfinals ("Elite 8"). UWL will officially kick of the 2026-27 season on November 11th when they travel to Decorah, Iowa to take on Coach Lonning's, alma mater, Luther College (Iowa). The first opportunity to see the Eagles in Mitchell Hall is November 14th when they host St. Mary's University (Minn.) at 6 p.m.