Junior Taylor Wurtz played the most minutes for Wissonsin last season and averaged 8.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, the best stats out of the returning players.[/media-credit]

The University of Wisconsin women’s basketball team will have a full plate this year.

UW released its 2011-12 schedule Monday and is slated to face 14 teams that played in the postseason last year.

After finishing 16-15 (10-6 Big Ten) last year, UW will face six teams that finished in USA Today’s final Top 25 poll of the 2010-11 season, as well as two more teams who received votes.

The strongest opponent the Badgers face, based on last season’s records, is Green Bay. The Phoenix finished last season ranked No. 9 with 34 wins on the season. Wisconsin will also face last season’s No. 17 Ohio State, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 25 Marquette.

The Badgers will also face seven teams who played in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament.

UW reached the second round of the WNIT before falling to Illinois State, 62-59. Wisconsin will face five nonconference teams who also appeared in the WNIT, including BYU, Boston College, Oral Roberts and Colorado – who reached the Elite Eight. The first three teams ended their seasons in the Sweet 16.

After opening Big Ten play against Ohio State Dec. 30, Wisconsin will face Penn State the following week. Both Michigan and Northwestern made appearances in the WNIT, while Iowa also received votes in the USA Today poll.

In total, Wisconsin will face 11 teams who had 20-plus wins last season. Nine of the Badgers’ games will air on the Big Ten Network, five of which will be played at the Kohl Center.

Other notes on the schedule:

UW will face UW-Whitewater and UW-Parkside in its two exhibition games this season. Wisconsin has never played UW-Parkside and hasn’t faced UW-Whitewater since 1979.

Wisconsin hosts Oral Roberts and Washington State, which is the first time in school history the Badgers have faced either of those teams. They will also meet Montana State in the Omni Classic in Boulder, Colo. for the first time in school history, as well.

Wisconsin will face Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Purdue only once each this season due to the Big Ten’s expansion to 12 teams. It will play newcomer Nebraska twice. The Badgers are 5-0 all time against the Cornhuskers. The most recent meeting between the two teams was Nov. 29, 2000, at the Kohl Center. They’ll meet for the first time at the Kohl Center again on Jan. 12 this season, before the Badgers travel to Lincoln, Neb. Feb. 19.