The Waterloo High School girls basketball squad will be counting on senior leadership this winter to improve upon a 13-19 showing a season ago. 

“We have a lot of varsity experience returning this season,” Waterloo head coach Jake Schneider said. 

Key returning players include seniors Aubrey Heck, Mallory Thompson, Sam Juelfs and Calla Espenschied, along with sophomore Nichole Gum. 

Heck is a four-year starter who will be running the point for the third straight year. She is the program’s all-time leader in assists and is averaging 6.75 helpers in the early going this season. She also led the Bulldogs in rebounding last season. 

“Aubrey’s playmaking ability makes our team go,” Schneider said. 

Thompson, who also stars in softball for the Bulldogs, is a three-year basketball starter who is averaging nearly 10 points and seven rebounds per game this season. 

“She is a great two-way player that always leaves it all on the court,” the head coach said. 

Another softball standout expected to shine this winter on the court is Juelfs. She’s averaging nearly 13 points per game to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Juelfs also played volleyball for the Bulldogs this fall. 

“Sam gets a lot better every year,” Schneider said. “She has done that with her work ethic that she brings every day across three sports.”

Espenschied will also be looked on to help lead this year’s squad.

“She is always capable of bringing a spark with her energy. Her strength is using her high energy for defense and rebounding,” Schneider said. 

The younger sister of WHS hoops legend Norah Gum, Nichole Gum continues to improve by the day and has “explosive” potential, according to her coach.

“She scores it really well in the paint for a small guard and will be even more dangerous if she can develop a consistent outside shot,” Schneider said. 

Newcomers who will be counted on this winter include senior forward Jessica Richter, sophomore center Addie Stell and freshman guard Kenzie Nordike. 

Stell missed all of last season due to injury but “has the potential to be a big factor protecting the rim, rebounding and scoring,” Schneider said. 

Richter and Nordike have shown their athleticism in the early going. 

For Schneider, the key to this season starts with defense. 

“If we are going to have success, defense needs to become a strength,” he said. “It has not been in the past. When we get stops, that opens up more fast break opportunities, which has been a strength of ours.” 

As for goals, Schneider hopes his team can make noise in the final season of Mississippi Valley Conference play. 

“This is our last shot at an MVC title, so we’d like to push ourselves a little extra to compete well in conference,” he said. “I think it will benefit us to just focus on one game at a time and see where we stand at the end of the season.”