Teagan Mallegni: Iowa’s ‘the place I wanted to be’
MCFARLAND, Wis. (BVM) — Caitlin Clark has been at the forefront of women’s college basketball after leading Iowa to the national championship and winning national player of the year. The Hawkeyes are ensuring they sustain their success by bringing in a new group of talented players, including Teagan Mallegni, the No. 64-ranked player in ESPN’s 2024 HoopGurlz rankings.
Mallegni’s basketball journey began at a young age and a number of athletes including Elena Delle Donne and Candice Parker influenced her. However, no one may have had a bigger impact on her than her mother, Sara Mallegni, the McFarland Spartans varsity girls basketball head coach.
“My mom really taught me how to shoot,” Teagan said. “She was always helping me out, even when I didn’t want it and gave me advice, which I appreciate now.”
Sara played basketball at McFarland and UW-Whitewater and now she’s coaching one of the best players in the country. But Teagan also recognized that she had the potential to be a D-I athlete growing up, especially when she’d practice with her mom’s high school teams.
“I’ve been playing for a while,” Teagan said. “I would go to the gym every day and in fifth grade I realized my potential.”
Identifying potential is one thing, but capitalizing on it is another, and Teagan made sure to do just that. She started on varsity as a freshman, and joined the Let it Rain basketball program but also faced adversity when the season was cut short by COVID-19. However, the relationships she built helped her make it through the year.
“It was a short season and we played about 12 games. That was kind of hard for me,” Teagan said. “Basketball is a social thing for me. Sports in general are where I make most of my friends, so getting to be more comfortable with myself off the court and with those people has been important to me.”
She remained determined to grow and experiencing a unique season like that helped Teagan become a better teammate.
“That helped me learn about myself and about my game,” Teagan said. “Also being able to involve my teammates more has been one aspect that I’m trying to work on and I think I showed it last year.”
Teagan’s work was finally recognized after her sophomore season and a move to the Wisconsin Lakers basketball club strengthened her skillset. She received her first D-I scholarship offer from UW-Green Bay, but she’d receive 54 more offers, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Duke, North Carolina, Oregon, Kansas and others.
Hawkeye fans, get excited‼️ Teagan Mallegni is the REAL DEAL. pic.twitter.com/kczJ47mjzh
— Select Events Basketball (@SelectEventsBB) July 9, 2023
“It was so cool at first, super surreal,” Teagan said. “It did get a little bit [overwhelming]. The phone calls were a lot for me, but it was really cool to meet all these people and learn from everybody and their experiences.”
One of those phone calls came from Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder, and after going on an official visit she decided to commit to the Hawkeyes.
Official visit with @IowaWBB this weekend and a @HawkeyeFootball win! Can’t wait to see these young women on the court in Carver wearing the Black & Gold next year! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/bs8zN1Ux5w
— Nate Levin (@Nate_Levin_11) September 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/TeaganMallegni/status/1644789453422985216
“I woke up one day and it was like, ‘That’s where I want to go,’” Teagan said. “I had it narrowed down to five or six schools and realized it was the place I wanted to be. Their coaches are amazing, they were always texting me and calling me, which I really appreciated and they wanted to get to know me and make that connection. The players were super supportive and welcoming too and to be able to play high-level basketball is something I’ve always wanted.”
Teagan was also able to meet Caitlin Clark and has thought about the possibility of playing alongside her if Clark decides to return in 2024.
“That was crazy,” Teagan said. “She’s energetic and it’s fun to be around her. She seems like a great teammate and a great person and is fun to be around.”
Teagan has shifted her focus to her senior season with her recruitment behind her and will be aiming to follow up on an impressive junior season where she averaged 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 4.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. She was also named to the AP All-State Team while helping the Spartans take the Rock Valley Conference crown and make their first state tournament appearance since 1999.
We are SO very proud of @TeaganMallegni and all of the hard work and dedication she has poured into basketball. Congrats on being named to the Division 2 All-State Team 🏀 pic.twitter.com/mxz9pgyoaZ
— McFarland Girls Basketball (@mcfgbball) March 21, 2023
“It was crazy,” Teagan said. “To have that come around like that and just to see the support of the community and the way everything worked out was crazy. Just being able to be on that stage and have the support that we did was great.”
Teagan has put work into perfecting her craft and it showed last year. Plenty of great moments await her as she moves forward, but there are also going to be strenuous moments she’ll have to work through and Teagan will be ready for those and is eager to pursue more of her goals.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play basketball after high school and I’ve had it for a long time,” Teagan said. “Having that become a reality and being in a position where people are looking up to me … has been amazing. I’m hoping to continue playing after college too, so working towards that [is a goal] and having something to work for is important to me and I’m grateful I’ve been able to go after it.”
