Badger Standout

Decker, shown here in a game against Bemidji State in 2012, went on to star on three Olympic teams, followed by a career in professional women’s hockey. David Stluka

Brianna Decker ’14 was mowing the lawn the day the call came in. Not recognizing the Toronto, Canada, number, she sent it to voicemail. But after the number showed up on Decker’s screen again, she decided it might be important.

It was. On the other end of the line was Ron Francis, former Stanley Cup champion and current chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee. He was calling to let Decker know she would soon become a member of the Hall, joining the 2025 cohort in November. “I was so surprised and super emotional,” says Decker. “I never dreamed I’d be part of the Hall of Fame.”

Decker may have been surprised, but a quick look at her lengthy résumé suggests she shouldn’t have been. Her achievements include Rookie of the Year at UW–Madison for her 2009–10 season; 15-time member of the U.S. National Team, winning eight world championships; three Olympic teams, including one gold-medal-winning performance; and a professional career with the Boston Blades, Calgary Inferno, and Boston Pride. She was also the recipient of the Patty Kazmaier Award, which honors the top female college ice hockey player.

Decker is the first Badger women’s player to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame, and that’s saying something. She comes from a roster that has included the likes of Meghan Duggan ’11 and Hilary Knight ’12, both standouts on their own. Together, the trio led the Badgers to the 2011 national championship, which Decker still considers one of her career’s biggest highlights. “We just had an incredible team and knew we could win no matter what,” she says.

Decker also points to the 2018 Olympic gold-medal performance. “After coming up short in 2014, that win felt extra special,” she says.

Decker got her start in hockey like many other Wisconsinites — playing on a pond. “I grew up with three brothers in a small town,” she says. “I saw them playing hockey and I wanted to be like them, and my parents encouraged me to play.”

And play she did, early on helping the Madison Capitols under-14 youth hockey team win a state championship. Decker followed that up with four years at the Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota. While there, she loyally wore a Gophers shirt, but underneath it, she sported a Badgers tee.

“Heading into college, I was recruited by many schools, but I always had my heart set on being a Badger,” she says. “In the fourth grade, a teacher had us write a letter to ourselves about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I said a dentist and a Badger hockey player.”

Decker’s prestigious career came to an unexpected end at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing in an early-round game. A collision with an opposing player resulted in a broken fibula and injured ankle that prevented Decker from advancing with her team.

“It definitely took a toll, both mentally and physically,” she admits. “It gave me a chance to coach the national team, however. I was excited to help my teammates from a coaching standpoint, because I couldn’t participate, which was unique.”

It also led her back to Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, where she coached the next generation of women’s hockey players. And while it’s hockey that got her the coaching gig, Decker’s UW major in human development and family studies proved particularly valuable in that role.

“When I was in school, I was so focused on hockey that I didn’t think much about where I’d go with my major,” she says. “But it has helped in so many ways.”

She points to her understanding of family dynamics, which she found helpful for coaching a group of girls living in a boarding school.

Last August, Decker opted to continue on her career path by becoming an assistant coach with the Minnesota Frost, a two-time champion Professional Women’s Hockey League team.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with the Minnesota Frost and to be surrounded by professional athletes who are committed to growing their game every single day,” she says.

For a Wisconsin girl whose life aspiration was to play for the Badgers, entering the Hockey Hall of Fame is an unexpected bonus. Modest as always, Decker offers this parting shot: “It just shows that I was surrounded by incredible athletes and coaches my entire career.”

Published in the Winter 2025 issue