Karen Middleton starts her seventh season as UW-La Crosse head women's basketball coach in 2022-23. She has led the Eagles to a 92-51 (.643) overall and 47-30 (.610) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) record in her first six years.
UWL went 14-12 overall and 5-8 in the WIAC in 2021-22. The Eagles earned a victory over UW-Platteville in the WIAC First Round.
UWL finished 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC in 2020-21, advancing to the league's tournament semifinals for the fifth straight year under Middleton and finishing 4-1 at home.
The Eagles went 19-8 overall and 10-4 in the WIAC in 2019-20, finishing tied for second in the league standings while advancing to the league's tournament semifinals. UWL made its fifth appearance, and first since 2010-11, in earning an at-large bid to the 2020 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament. UWL went 11-2 at home during the 2019-20 season.
UWL finished 22-5 overall and 10-4 in the WIAC in 2018-19, recording its most overall wins since going 22-7 in 1987-88. The Eagles' 10 league wins were the most since finishing 12-4 in 2010-11. UWL advanced to the 2019 WIAC Championships Semifinals for the third straight year and fifth time overall as the team tied for second overall in the league standings.
Karen Middleton is 78-39 in five seasons at UWL.
The Eagles were 10-2 at home in 2018-19 while setting a school record in three-point field goals made (195) and attempted (579).
UWL was 16-10 overall and 9-5 in the WIAC in 2017-18 under Middleton while finishing 16-11 overall and 9-5 in the conference in Middleton's first season in 2016-17. The Eagles recorded their most overall (16) and conference (9) wins since finishing 16-10 overall and 9-7 in the WIAC in 2011-12. UWL made its first appearance in the tournament semifinals since 2011 in 2017 while earning its highest seed (second) in school history in 2018.
Fourteen All-WIAC honors have been earned under Middleton's tutelage at UWL, including
Emma Gamoke to the 2021-22 All-WIAC First Team. She was voted to the D3hoops.com All-Region 9 Third Team. Gamoke was also named to the all-conference first team while
Ava Kramer was named to the all-conference honorable mention team. Four student-athletes earned all-conference accolades in 2019-20.
Dani Craig was selected to the 2019-20 All-WIAC First Team while
Delaney Schoenenberger, Kramer and Gamoke were voted honorable mention. Craig was also named to the 2019-20 D3hoops.com All-Central Region Third Team.
Craig and Gamoke who were selected to the 2018-19 All-WIAC First Team. Three players earned all-conference accolades in 2017-18 as
Elise DeNoyer was named to the All-WIAC First Team while Craig and Schoenenberger were named honorable mention. DeNoyer was named the WIAC Player of the Year and earned D3hoops.com All-Central Region First Team honors. She became the second player in school history to earn four all-conference honors, joining
Mackenzie Hunter. DeNoyer and Hunter are the only players in UWL history to be named the league's player of the year.
MaKenzie Miller and DeNoyer were selected to the 2016-17 All-WIAC Team.
A native of Jefferson, South Carolina, Middleton served as associate head coach at Cal State Fullerton University in 2015-16, overseeing the day-to-day aspects of the women’s basketball program for the Titans.
Prior to working at Cal State Fullerton, Middleton was the head women’s basketball coach at Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, North Carolina) for six years from 2009-15. Under Middleton’s tutelage, three Catamounts earned SoCan All-Freshman honors while three players earned all-conference accolades, including a pair of first team choices. Western Carolina garnered Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic National Top-25 finishes twice, including 13th in 2011-12 and 14th in 2012-13.
Middleton earned her 100th career victory in UWL's 69-42 win over Finlandia University (Mich.) November 24, 2018.
The 15th head women's basketball coach in UWL history, Middleton spent two years as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois from 2007-09, helping lead the Illini to a WNIT appearance in 2007-08. She helped sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the country at Illinois. Middleton coached two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection
Jenna Smith.
Before coaching at Illinois, Middleton served as an assistant coach at Stanford University (Calif.) for 10 years from 1997-2007 under head coach
Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinal won eight Pac-10 conference titles and earned 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Sweet Sixteens and three Elite Eights. Middleton coached three Kodak All-Americans and two Pac-10 Players of the Year.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, Middleton was an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University for three years (1994-97) and for two years at South Carolina (1992-94). A member of the WBCA, Middleton was on the USA Basketball Olympic Festival Trails Staff in 1993 and the USA Basketball National Team Training Camp Staff in 1994.
Middleton graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education while earning her Interdisciplinary Master of Arts in physical education in 1993 from South Carolina.
She started her coaching career at her alma mater as a volunteer assistant (1991-92). Middleton played for the Gamecocks for four years, scoring over 1,700 career points and setting a single-season school record with 115 three-point field goals made. She was a team captain and most valuable player and earned All-Metro Conference honors.
