Badgers add SoCon Player of the Year Caia Elisaldez to 2026–27 roster
April 22, 2026 | Women's Basketball
High-scoring transfer guard arrives from Chattanooga
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin women's basketball has added Southern Conference (SoCon) Player of the Year transfer Caia Elisaldez to its roster, signing the transfer guard ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Elisaldez arrives in Madison following three standout seasons at Chattanooga, bringing veteran experience and playmaking abilities. The five-foot-five guard will join the squad as a senior.
A steady riser throughout her career, Elisaldez developed into one of the SoCon's premier guards from her freshman through junior seasons. She appeared in all 33 games as a freshman, helping Chattanooga secure both the SoCon regular season and tournament titles. As a sophomore, she earned First Team All-SoCon honors after leading the team in scoring (14.1 ppg) and assists (4.9 apg), becoming one of just four players in program history since 2000 to lead the team in both categories in a single season. She elevated her play even further as a junior, starting all 31 contests and leading the SoCon in both scoring (17.0 ppg) and assists (5.1 apg) on her way to SoCon Player of the Year honors, while becoming the first player since 2006 to record a points-assists double-double.
Elisaldez was one of the most relied-upon guards in the country this past season, averaging 36.2 minutes per game, the highest in the SoCon and ranked 15th nationally. She filled the stat sheet with 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 49.6% from the field and 77.6% from the free throw line. She recorded 12 games of 20 or more points, led the team in scoring 17 times, and tallied five or more assists in 17 contests, including a pair of career-high 11-assist performances and three points-assists double-doubles.
Her impact carried into the postseason, where she delivered a career-high 33 points in the WBIT First Round, the most by a Chattanooga player in a national postseason game, and knocked down a pair of game-winning free throws in the final second.
Prior to Chattanooga, Elisaldez was a highly decorated high school standout in California, earning all-state recognition and multiple all-league honors while helping her program to three Trinity League titles and CIF Open Division success.
"Caia is a dynamic guard who brings toughness, skill and a strong understanding of the game. A great floor general and an elite facilitator, she also excels at attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line." said head coach Robin Pingeton.
