University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Jacqui Kalin’s jersey retirement set for Saturday, February 28 against UIC
2/24/2026 2:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Jacqui Kalin, one of UNI's most decorated women's basketball athletes of all time, will be recognized on Saturday afternoon inside the McLeod Center as UNI Athletics retires her jersey in a pregame ceremony during its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) home game against UIC.
Kalin, who played for the Panthers from 2007 to 2013, will be in attendance for the game alongside family and friends as she will be recognized with a banner bearing her name and number 10 jersey, as well as a banner plaque.
Fans are encouraged to be seated for the ceremony by 12:40 p.m. CT. Kalin will also be available for an autograph signing session at halftime on the McLeod Center's northeast concourse. A limited number of posters will be available at halftime, while a limited number of t-shirts will also be available on the south concourse, while supplies last.
"JK didn't just raise banners or break records, she raised the standard," said UNI head coach Tanya Warren. "She embodied excellence in every sense of the word, competing with relentless heart, leading with integrity, and leaving a legacy that will forever define what it means to be a Panther."
The ceremony for Kalin will be the third of 19 planned jersey retirements for UNI Athletics in 2026, following the announcement of the department's jersey retirement program as part of UNI's sesquicentennial celebration. The Panther wrestling program retired Bill Smith's jersey during their Feb. 14 dual against West Virginia, while the UNI men's basketball team recognized AJ Green on Feb. 15 vs. Drake.
Additionally, UNI will retire jerseys of iconic Panthers for other teams later this year, as well as for athletes whose sports are no longer sponsored by the university during the 2026 homecoming celebration at its All-Sports Reunion.
"I am so incredibly honored that my jersey will be hanging in the McLeod Center rafters," said Kalin. "This achievement is truly a reflection of an entire village of people that impacted and led to the success of the UNI women's basketball program before and during my career, and I am humbled to represent that group of people. I feel so lucky to have been surrounded by remarkable coaches, teammates, support staff, and fans, and I feel especially grateful for my family who supported me and made sacrifices every step of the way. Thank you to Dr. Megan Franklin, Coach Warren, and the UNI Athletics Department for bringing this to life, and I look forward to celebrating and reconnecting with so many meaningful people from that village as we reunite on Saturday!"
A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Kalin put together one of the most accomplished careers in UNI women's basketball history during her six-year collegiate tenure from 2007-13, developing from MVC Freshman of the Year into one of the most decorated student-athletes the league has produced. As a freshman, Kalin immediately made an impact by starting all 31 games at point guard, earning MVC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-MVC honors while leading the Panthers with 13.3 points per game and pacing the conference with an 89.9% free-throw percentage. She recorded 21 double-figure scoring performances and five 20-point games, including a pair of 27-point outings, highlighted by a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat Drake. In 2008-09, she started five games before an injury cut her season short, averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per contest.
Kalin returned in 2009-10 to start all 33 games, earning First Team All-MVC and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team recognition while leading UNI with 14.2 points and 3.1 assists per game en route to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. She ranked among league leaders with an 89.7% free-throw mark, scored in double figures 26 times, and posted a then-career-high 34 points against Indiana State.
Kalin elevated her play further during the 2010-11 season, starting all 33 contests and earning the first of her two Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year and MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. A First Team All-MVC selection and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American, she averaged 15.3 points and 3.1 assists per game, scored in double figures 31 times, and ranked fourth nationally with a 91.0% free-throw percentage while posting the nation's fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio. She was named MVC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 18.3 points per game and capped the season with a 21-point NCAA Tournament performance. The 2010-11 women's basketball team was later named to the UNI Hall of Fame in 2023.
After redshirting the 2011-12 campaign due to another injury, Kalin concluded her career with a historic senior season in 2012-13, starting all 34 games and becoming the first player in MVC history to twice earn both Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. A First Team All-MVC selection and CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team honoree, she led the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game, earned five MVC Player of the Week awards, and finished with 31 double-figure scoring games and 18 performances of 20 or more points, including a career-high 37-point outing against Missouri State.
Kalin closed her career as UNI's all-time leader in scoring (2,081), three-pointers made (265), free throws made (484), free-throw percentage (92%), assists (491), games played and started (136), and minutes played (4,352), while ranking sixth in MVC history in scoring and becoming just the third player in UNI men's and women's basketball history to surpass 2,000 career points. She was named to the UNI Hall of Fame in 2017.
Kalin continues to be the program's leading scorer and UNI women's basketball's lone 2,000-point scorer. Her name is sprinkled throughout the Panther women's basketball, MVC and NCAA record books from her career at UNI, as she holds the NCAA Division I single-season record for free-throw percentage as a senior (95.5%). Kalin's 92% career free-throw percentage is ranked second in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.
Following graduation, Kalin played a pair of seasons overseas in Israel for the Ramat Hasharon professional club in the Israel D-1 league in 2013-14 before moving to the Maccabi Ramat Gan club in the Israel D-1 league for her final season in 2014-15. A gold medal winner, she played basketball for Team USA in the 2013 Maccabiah Games and led the team, averaging 14.3 points per game. Kalin was also a member of the Israel women's national basketball team in 2014 during the qualifying tournament for the 2015 European Women Championship.
In July 2015, she became the Coordinator of Women's Basketball Operations for the Drake Bulldogs, followed by a season as an assistant women's basketball coach for the 2015-16 season.
Kalin continues to be involved with MVC women's basketball as a TV broadcast analyst for The Valley On ESPN.
Saturday's game will tipoff at 1 p.m. CT with coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network. Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2025-26 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
