After electing to return to Bradley for a fifth year due to the NCAA granting a blanket year of eligibility following the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley guard Gabi Haack has one objective in mind.
“My expectations for this upcoming season are very high,” Haack said. “My goal is to bring home a second [Missouri Valley Conference] championship.”
Haack was a big part of a Bradley team that won its first-ever conference title last season as part of a 17-12 campaign that ended with a loss to Texas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Elk River, Minnesota native was named to the MVC First Team for her efforts, averaging 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 28 games. It was an unorthodox journey to the top of the conference for the Braves, who navigated constant uncertainty en route to the conference championship.
“Last year was especially tough due to all of the regulations and uncertainty,” Haack said. “In the end, all of our hard work paid off. The returners know what it takes to get there and have had a taste of what the NCAA Tournament is like.”
It will be a tall task for the Braves to return to the top of the mountain in a difficult MVC landscape, with Missouri State, Northern Iowa and 2021 title game foe Drake all boasting deep and able rosters.
While Haack wasn’t in Peoria to take part in the Braves’ usual offseason routine, the alternative kept her in shape for the coming campaign. She interned with the University of Florida’s football strength and conditioning program in Gainesville, Florida, lifting and training with her fellow interns and participating in strength-based workouts.
“I made sure to get shots up on my own,” Haack said. “I also gained experience coaching and working on my leadership skills. This offseason has prepared me mentally and physically for this upcoming year. I feel like I am in the best shape of my life and am so thankful to be able to wear a Bradley jersey for my final collegiate basketball season.”
An imposing figure in the paint or beyond the arc — where she shot 39% last season — Haack can impact the floor in a myriad of ways. Her fifth year on the Hilltop will see her join forces with five freshmen and three transfers, a group that she’s already started to make an impact on.
“Watching her day in and day out prepare like a professional with how she goes about getting ready for practice or a weight workout … she is always going to bring her best,” Bradley head coach Andrea Gorski said. “The newcomers could not have a better role model.”
Of the three seniors from last season’s team, only Haack is returning to suit up in red and white for a fifth season. Emily Marsh elected not to continue playing basketball and graduated in May, while Nyjah White will play as a graduate transfer at Kansas City.
The success of last season alone wasn’t all that went into Haack’s decision to return. To pass on the chance to play another season of basketball would have been almost impossible, she said.
“[With] school, I still had an extra semester to complete at the end of last school year,” Haack said. “If I was going to be here for school, I knew I wanted to also be playing basketball. The second factor was the relationships I’ve built with my coaches, teammates, professors and other staff. There are many people at Bradley who have my best interest at heart and will help me be successful with my life after basketball.”
Haack enters the season needing just two free throws to surpass Raisa Taylor’s school-record free-throw mark of 348, and 29 points to break Karen Anderson’s school-record scoring mark of 1,679 career points. Additionally, she’s within 237 rebounds of Chelsea Brackmann’s record of 953.
Outside of the record books, Haack is looking to build on a Bradley career that has been fulfilling at every step of the way. Beating Drake in 2020 and later winning the conference title stands out to Haack, just as the latter does to Gorski.
“Gabi is more of a quiet player on the floor and doesn’t often show her emotions,” Gorski said. “During our championship run, she was one of our most vocal leaders, and watching her fist pump after scoring an ‘and one’ versus UNI gave me chills. She brought her emotions to a different level and there was no way she was going to let her team leave without a championship.”
