STEVENS POINT, Wis. – UW-Stevens Point women's basketball coach Matt Hockett announced the addition of Valparaiso and SPASH standout Leah Earnest as a new assistant coach for the program.
 
"Homegrown, Hardworking, & Hungry...UWSP Women's Basketball hit a home run with the hiring of Coach Leah Earnest," said Hockett. "She checked every box we were targeting. A high character Stevens Point native with a blue-collar mindset that believes in our JUICE culture. There's no one better to help us continue our quest to be champions in the classroom, competition, and community. Today is a GREAT day for Pointer Women's Basketball."
 
Earnest comes to UWSP following a stellar five-year playing career at Valparaiso University in Indiana. She earned All-Missouri Valley Conference first team honors in 2024-25 and finished her career as the third-highest scorer in program history with 1,664 points. She set the Valpo record with 887 career rebounds and played in 145 games, the most in Valpo history. In 2023-24, Earnest was an All-MVC second-team selection.
 
"I am super grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the women's basketball program at UW-Stevens Point," exclaimed Earnest. "As someone who grew up five minutes from campus, I have been a Pointer fan all my life. I am extremely thankful to Coach Hockett for giving me the opportunity to come back home and begin my coaching career. I am beyond excited to get to work with this awesome group of young women and bring the JUICE every day!"
 
Off the court, Earnest was a 2025 graduate of the WBCA "So You Want To Be A Coach" program, a two-day workshop that increased the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching among other skills. She also was an MVC Scholar-Athlete third-team selection in 2024-25 and in 2023-24. Earnest also picked up Presidential Honor for Academic Excellence in Athletics in four consecutive years.
 
At SPASH, Earnest was a four-time letterwinner, two-time all-state first-teamer, four-time all-conference selection and a two-time Conference Player of the Year. She finished her career at SPASH with 2,084 point and more than 1,000 rebounds while leading the Panthers to three-consecutive conference and regional titles.
 
Earnest has been a freelance basketball skills coach for the past two years. She also worked in the Valpo University marketing and communications office and the Valpo athletics department in photography, graphic design, social media, academics and strength and conditioning roles. Earnest was the Valpo SAAC President for two years and secretary for one year.
 
Earnest earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science, with minors in human biology and digital media from Valparaiso in 2024. She completed her master's of business administration in May 2025.