Elizabeth (Shimek) Moeggenberg (2021) - Hall of Fame - Michigan State University Athletics

Elizabeth (Shimek) Moeggenberg

Induction:
2021
Class:
2006

Elizabeth (Shimek) Moeggenberg
Women's Basketball (2002-06)
Empire, Mich.
MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Two-time WBCA and Associated Press All-American (2005-06)
• Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2005-06)
• Four-time All-Big Ten honoree
• Led MSU to its first NCAA National Championship game in 2005

HALL OF FAME FEATURE: CLASS OF 2021

The photo has become iconic. Lindsay Bowen on the back of Elizabeth (Shimek) Moeggenberg after rallying back from 16 points down to upset powerhouse Tennessee in the 2005 Final Four. Moeggenberg was a part of the Michigan State women's basketball team that changed the program forever.

The Empire, Michigan, native will now take her place among the best of the best in MSU history. She joins teammate Kristin Haynie (2017), along with Mary Kay Itnyre (2015), Diane Spoelstra (2012) and Kisha (Kelley) Simpson (2011), as the only MSU women's basketball players in the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame.

Upon hearing she was being inducted Moeggenberg said, "I'm kind of speechless when you think about it. You think of all the phenomenal athletes that have gone through Michigan State and to be one that's going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's a huge honor. When I think of my teammate Kristin (Haynie), who was inducted back in 2018 it was just a great experience. She was such a role model and such a great leader and a great teammate. We went down for the ceremony. I am really just speechless."

Moeggenberg left Michigan State as the Spartans' all-time leading scorer with 1,780 points. She now stands third all-time in points scored and still remains first in field goals made with 719. The forward is one of only two Spartans to earn All-American honors twice. Moeggenberg is one of only six MSU women's basketball players to earn All-Big Ten honors all four seasons. She also left her mark in the classroom as well, earning CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in both 2005 and 2006.

The 2005 season was the most successful in MSU women's basketball history. The Spartans ended the season ranked No. 2 in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll, earning their highest-ever national ranking. Michigan State's starting five featured Moeggenberg, Kristin Haynie, Kelli Roehrig, Lindsay Bowen and Victoria Lucas-Perry. MSU averaged 71.0 points per game, while allowing only 58.2. Those stats were bolstered by a 67-51 win over No. 11 UConn on Dec. 29, 2004, as the 10th-ranked Spartans not only won on the Huskies' tough home court, but also dealt them their worst home loss in 12 years.

Looking back on that magical season, Moeggenberg found it hard to not think about ups and downs of such a memorable year.

"All that we went through as a team and how close we were and what great leadership we had with Kristin (Haynie) and Kelli (Roehrig) being the seniors on that team. It's such a cool memory that we all will share together. We pass it on to our children, and we share about it if we're in the coaching field or just in life," Moeggenberg said. "You learned so many lessons being a collegiate athlete, not just because we were successful, but just being a collegiate athlete. You just learned so many life lessons that you hope to pass on your own children are the people in your life that you are a role model to."

Moeggenberg's hard work during her collegiate career translated to even more success as she left East Lansing. She followed her MSU career with several years in the WNBA and a stint playing overseas until 2009. Ultimately, she returned to her roots on the family farm, working side by side with her parents. She also has returned to the basketball world as the varsity assistant coach at her alma mater Glen Lake High School. Moeggenberg and her husband, Luke, a former MSU wrestler, are also busy parents to four kids.

"I think the list to thank people could be pretty endless. I mean all the way from all my coaches growing up, to my high school coaches, to my family, of course my parents, Tom and Linda, and my brother, my sister and all my teammates throughout my career in high school. And all my teammates in college and obviously as you get more and more intense, I think that the bonds even gets better as you train together more and are with each other a lot more," said Moeggenberg. "And then my husband, Luke, I mean he's just the rock in my life. He traveled overseas with me, and left his career to come and be with me so we could be together and then when we got back, he started his own construction company."

Moeggenberg doesn't need that iconic picture of her and Bowen to ignite her Michigan State memories. The highs and lows of that incredible ride during the 2005 season are seared into her memory. It isn't only come-from-behind wins from the Joanne P. McCallie-led team that she remembers, but also the tough practices with a tight-knit team.

"That was a roller coaster of a ride of a season that we had. All in all, I can only really remember the good things. When you really think about the season you think of all the practices after a tough loss or a game or we didn't play well and all the grueling moments that we did as a team. Whether it was preseason taekwondo workouts or doing all of our conditioning in the weight room, all those moments that you're working so hard together it just creates as a bond as a team," Moeggenberg said.

"And so doing all that together and fighting through all those moments of adversity, like when we were at Notre Dame. We won that game being down seven points with under 30 seconds to go. All those moments that we stuck together and fought through the adversity. I'm not surprised that we made it as far as we did. When we beat UConn on their floor, and all those moments where we saw the bits of greatness that we could be. Those were defining moments for us."