Nebraska native Marissa Kastanek joins Husker women’s basketball staff

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) — A Nebraska native with a long, successful history as a professional player will join the Nebraska women’s basketball program.

Marissa Kastanek will be a graduate assistant manager in the 2025-26 season, Husker head coach Amy Williams announced on Monday.

“Marissa is a home run hire for our program,” Williams said. “Our student-athletes can lean into her vast playing experience both collegiately and professionally. We have seen her utilize her positive, upbeat teaching style while coaching at many of our summer camps. We are excited to add her to our Husker family!”

Kastanek produced an impressive 12-year professional career in Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Puerto Rico after a decorated college career at North Carolina State (2009-13). She also competed for the Polish National Team.

She graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in 2009 after competing her first two seasons at Crete High School.

Kastanek played continuously in Poland from 2015 to 2025, including six seasons with VBW Arka Gdynia.

She was a starting guard for VBW Arka Gdynia last season, averaging 9.6 points and 2.5 assists per game.

Kastanek led Gdynia to a 15-3 record and a league championship in the Poland-OLBK. She also played in eight EuroCup games.

“I am so excited to announce that I will be a Husker,” Kastanek said. “I am so thankful to Coach Williams and the University for allowing me to step in and be a part of something special. I am so excited to share what I have learned over the years with the next generation of players. I could not think of a better place to start the next chapter of my life. Go Big Red!”

A four-year starter at NC State, Kastanek was a first-team All-ACC selection on the court for the Wolfpack after earning honorable-mention All-ACC accolades as both a sophomore and a junior.

She was the 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American while helping the Wolfpack to the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

She was also a first-team ACC All-Tournament pick as a junior in 2012, while claiming a second-team ACC All-Tournament selection as a freshman in 2010.

She capped her college career by winning the HC Kennett Award, presented annually to NC State’s top athlete. She was also the runner-up in the 2013 State Farm 3-Point Championship at the NCAA Men’s Final Four in Atlanta.

The 5-foot-9 guard ranks among the top 10 scorers in North Carolina State history, coming in ninth with 1,655 points and 131 starts over 133 games for the Wolfpack, averaging 12.4 points per game.

She hit 240 career 3-pointers (.359), while connecting on 80.3% of her free throws. She added 499 rebounds, 203 assists and 172 steals in her career.

A star in the classroom as well, Kastanek was a first-team CSC Academic All-American as a senior in 2013 after earning second-team Academic All-America honors in 2012.

She was also a two-time ACC Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2012, 2013).

A three-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, Kastanek also earned NCAA and ACC postgraduate scholarships.

She majored in psychology with minors in coaching, sports science and Spanish, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

Kastanek also represented the U.S. at the 2011 Pan Am Games, averaging 5.8 points over four games for Team USA in Guadalajara, Mexico. She tied for the team lead with six 3-pointers.

In 2019, Kastanek founded the WISDOM Fellowship for professional players in Europe, which continues to do charitable work around the globe.