Liz Shimek was not a household name in Chicago when she played two seasons for the Sky. And there was no big WNBA signing bonus waiting for the 18th pick in the 2006 draft, who happened to be a Michigan State forward that led the Spartans to the NCAA women’s finals.
It’s a different world for elite female basketball players today. Still, Liz — a mother of five whose last name is now Moeggenberg — holds no resentment about the timing of her playing days.
“It’s definitely changed,” said Moeggenberg, an all-state basketball player at Glen Lake and All-American at MSU. “A lot more teams, a lot more fan base, and I’m sure there is going to be more now that this graduating group is being drafted.”
The catalyst for that change has been Caitlin Clark, the dazzling forward tho led Iowa to the finals and the biggest audiences that have ever watched women’s basketball.
Shimek, who averaged 18 points and eight rebounds as a Spartan senior, recalled her draft day: “I think I bought my shirt from JC Penney, and I was wearing pants I already had.” In contrast, Clark strolled up to the podium after being selected No. 1 wearing a $17,000 Prada outfit, looking all the part of her reported $3 million annual income in endorsements. Other future WNBA stars also flashed money as they were recognized after being drafted.
“How times have changed,” Moeggenberg said after climbing off a tractor in Empire Township, where she has taken a lead role on the family farm owned by her parents Tom and Linda Shimek. “Maybe part of you is kind of jealous, wishing you had been paid in college. You wouldn’t have had to worry, you would have had money, and maybe when it was all set and done you could have set your roots down and bought some land.”
If that sounded like remorse, it didn’t last long. Moeggenberg has always been a team player, never one to pop off a threepoint shot ahead of rebounders. Soon after graduating she married her college sweetheart, Spartan wrestler Lucas Moeggenberg, and the couple has put family first ever since Lamdin, now 12, was born. Liz followed her two years in Chicago with three seasons playing professional basketball in France, then headed back to her roots to raise their kids in a family-friendly community.
Both are crazy busy. Luke is owner of Stonyfield Construction, whose signs are prominent at worksites throughout the southwest part of the county. He is the main reason that a wrestling program will return in 2024-25 to Glen Lake. He’s signed on as head coach.
Liz previously served as head volleyball coach at Glen Lake, and has been varsity assistant in the highly successful Laker girls basketball program. She’s going to take the next year off, though, because her hands will be full with Lamdin; Fletcher, 10; Cade, 8; Oaklyn, 4; and now seven-month-old Taelyn.
“With Luke starting wrestling at Glen Lake, this is the right decision for my family. We’ve made the right decisions,” Moeggenberg said.
One reason women’s basketball has gone from ignored to adored by the masses has been a dramatic jump in talent. Clark, who broke the all-time collegiate scoring record for men and women, led the way with step-back three pointers from mid-court logos. She is also a team player, able to zip threequarter court passes into tiny openings and lure defenders that left teammates open.
The higher quality of play has not been confined to one player.
“There is so much talent. It’s such a higher level of play. I can’t say why. The skills Caitlin possesses, the passing ability and being able to shoot wherever and from whenever, it’s amazing to see. And it’s not just Caitlin. You have Kate Martin lovers, you have Gabbie Marshall lovers. To have their arena sell out, to have season tickets sell out. To have fans that loyal,” Moeggenberg sad.
WNBA salaries haven’t kept up with the lifted skill levels of the newest draft picks — yet. All four first-round picks will make a base salary of $76,535 as WNBA rookies, part of fouryear contracts worth $338,056. Moeggenberg, back when she was Shimek, made a bit over $30,000. But with ticket prices for the Indiana Fever increasing four-, five and six-fold and a lucrative television contract coming, compensation is sure to follow.
Many of the players were also compensated handsomely through endorsement contracts while in college. Clark is a star on State Farm Insurance commercials.
Moeggenberg embraces the changes, and hopes the money being made through hiked attendance and television contracts ends up with players.
One thing she doesn’t like, though, is the impressions some players leave on younger players through their TikTok videos.
“I can’t believe what they post. I am very surprised with some of the music they use. If I did that when I was in college, I would be in my coach’s office being reamed out. I wouldn’t want my daughters to watch that,” she said.
While not lucrative, basketball has been rewarding to Moeggenberg. Three of her former teammates, Rene Haynes, Lindsay Bowen and Kristin Haynie, are head coaches at universities. And Moeggenberg treasures the time she has spent passing on her skills.
Glen Lake is steeped in basketball tradition that followed Moeggenberg to MSU and on to the WNBA.
“What I didn’t realize until I came back is what an impact I had on my community. I was asking myself, ‘Why is that a big deal? I’m just doing what I’m doing.’ Then people would say they were watching me on TV and following my career. Compare that with what Caitlin has done. I can see what she has done in her community, and I can relate. You don’t realize how many lives you’ve impacted while you’re in that spotlight,” Moeggenberg said.
With athletes for parents, the Moeggenberg kids may some day have their own athletic spotlights. Should the boys decide to play sports, they’ll have a decision to make in winter.
“All my boys wrestle now. Lamdin says he’s going to try out for basketball next year. He’s out shooting hoops every day. There is no pressure from mom and dad either way,” Moeggenberg said.
