One-on-one with Milwaukee Director of Athletics Amanda Braun

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Panthers are wrapping up the year 2022 on a high note across the board. CBS 58's Scott Grodsky sat down with UWM AD Amanda Braun to hear what's next for the school.

What a time to be a Panther. The women's soccer and cross country teams won fall championships. The men's basketball team is off to their best start since 2015.

"It's a point of pride," said Panthers AD Amanda Braun. "It really is. Our staff every day work with every one of our 300+ student athletes to help them succeed."

The Panthers will go into the new year in first in the McCafferty Trophy standings. The award is given to the Horizon League with the best performance in all sports. Milwaukee hasn't won it in almost a decade.

"I think what it does for me is it makes a statement that we support our programs across the board," said Braun. "You're seeing now in some of the funding issues and the choices that schools are having to make. They're cutting back on sports or defunding, not funding as well. We're fortunate that we're able to continue that. I think that signals the type of culture we have."

While many Panthers programs are thriving, it's a particularly exciting time for the men's and women's basketball teams. Their new training facility will open within the next month.

"For a while, I felt like it was a mirage," said Braun.

Braun tells me they started pre-design in fall 2013, but the mirage is real, and it's almost ready.

"It means a lot; it means a lot in the context of our peers. I think in our league there's only a couple other schools that have a standalone practice facility dedicated to basketball. It shows there is some real and symbolic commitment to our programs," said Braun.

The basketball teams are 3-1 in conference play this year -- hoping the new facility can help them both be above .500 in the Horizon League for the first time in seven seasons.