MANKATO — Ever since she was in middle school Natalie Bremer wanted to be the best when it came to the game of basketball.
She didn’t care what the cost was. She didn’t care if she spent hours in the driveway shooting baskets while still wearing her work boots after spending grueling hours on her family farm. In fact, a photo of that exact description proudly hangs in the Bremer family home eight miles south of Lake City, Minnesota.
A near decade-long journey which included countless hours spent imitating her older brothers at their basketball practices, countless hours spent in the family driveway, countless hours spent by herself in Lake City High School’s gymnasium and inside the facilities of Minnesota State saw Bremer reach yet another historic milestone on the journey of being the best.
On Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, Bremer cemented her place in Minnesota State women’s basketball history, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer at 2,085 points and counting.
“I don’t think I ever would have thought I would have become the all-time leading scorer here,” Bremer admitted after Friday’s win. “It’s just, you know, something really special that I can go back on and look at my freshman year and see how far that I’ve come throughout my four years here.”
Bremer entered Friday’s showdown against Northern State with 2,063 career points. All she needed was nine points to tie and 10 points to break the program record of 2,072 set by Lisa Walters. For some it’s an intimidating game. But Bremer has scored at least 15 points in every game during her senior season up to that point.
She was going to do her thing. But for those who supported her along the journey, they were bubbling with anticipation, pride, anxiousness and uneasiness.
Natalie’s Mom Michelle admitted before the game that, when the historic moment came, she’d likely break down into tears. Tears of joy, of course, but tears nonetheless.
Natalie’s Dad, Steve, admitted that it would be a proud moment for the family. One he never dreamt of coming to life.
Even seeing his Daughter reach the 2,000 point threshold still amazes him.
“That’s a lot of points,” Steve told The Free Press before Friday’s game. “And the style that they play … she’s only playing 22-23 minutes a game. For her to average nearly 22 points a game is pretty remarkable.”
Then came tip-off.
Per usual MSU’s defense was stifling. Senior Mackenzie Schweim came up with a steal which turned into a layup for Natalie 12 seconds into the contest.
Eight points away.
A steal from senior Hannah Herzig set up a jumper for Natalie. She knocked it down to extend the lead to 16-2 with 02:53 left in the first quarter.
Six points away.
With 1:10 left in the opening stanza Natalie came away with her lone steal of the game. She scored on the fast break for an 18-6 MSU lead with 1:05 remaining.
Four points away.
With 1:14 expiring in the second quarter Natalie connected in the paint for a 23-12 lead. The home crowd begins to bubble with excitement for what comes next.
Two points away.
Freshman Haylee Stokes fed the ball to Natalie in the paint with 6:56 remaining in the second quarter. Natalie spun to her left, fired a heavily contested right-handed layup and went crashing to the floor.
Her shot was successful. The crowd erupted.
Natalie Bremer became MSU’s all-time leading scorer.
“It’s kind of an unreal moment, just because you can’t really put a feeling to it,” Natalie said. “My teammates made it so precious and so awesome to feel, and they poured all the love into me. I give so much credit to them for making this moment so special.”
And as she was mobbed by teammates and coaches alike she looked up into the crowd. Specifically toward the top of the section behind MSU’s bench.
That’s where she saw her parents. The smiles of their faces were nearly identical to the moment itself — priceless.
“It’s just so special, because they make it a point to come to almost every single game,” Natalie said of her parents. “I know all the time and the money that they put into me since I was a little third grader. My successes are also their successes.
“It’s really important that they’re always there for me.”
Of course Natalie’s journey to this historic moment didn’t come accidentally.
Her resume currently includes a Most Outstanding Player nod in MSU’s national title run in 2023-24. Her 641 points scored last season are the fourth most single-season points scored by an MSU player. Only Lynn Peterson’s 799 points in 1980-81, Lynn Peterson, Mary Manderfield’s 721 in 1978-79 and Elise Ohm’s 645 in 1979-80 top her so far.
But Natalie’s habits to reach Maverick immortality, as Michelle explained, didn’t come out of thin air. The habits started when she was still learning addition and subtraction.
“Ever since she was in Kindergarten she’d come home, do her homework and then it’s time to work,” Michelle said. “She’s never been a procrastinator. She would tell us ‘I want to get better.’”
That desire to get better, which may or may not have been caused by an internal competition against her older brothers Andrew and Zach, led her to a resume held by few before she played her first minute of basketball in Mankato. She left Lake City High School as the school’s all-time leading scorer, boys or girls, with over 2,300 points. She became the third person in her family to lead Lake City to the state tournament in 2021 with Steve taking the Tigers to the tournament in 1883 and 1985 with Zach helping guide the Tigers in 2017.
She also played on an AAU team which ran presses similar to MSU. Lake City ran trap and zone looks similar to MSU.
It made MSU head coach Emilee Thiesse smile from ear to ear knowing Bremer, thanks to playing in the environment she did, was going to be a near perfect fit in Mankato.
“She has great anticipation,” Thiesse said of Bremer after last week’s 94-69 rout of Bemidji State. “She has the ability to get deflections and create from her defense. That was a natural fit for us. She was somebody that had the opportunity to come in and make an impact right away.”
Bremer was on MSU’s radar during her sophomore year of high school. During her junior year she came on a visit. Michelle said Natalie wanted to look at a few more schools, but MSU felt like home right away.
“ The confidence Thiesse pours into me every single day … she knew while recruiting me that I was going to make an (impact) here in Mankato,” Natalie said. “She was right.”
Natalie started one game her freshman season. She still averaged 21.6 minutes a game, adding 14.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest while adding 69 steals and 10 blocks as the Mavericks went 26-5 before bowing out the second round of the NCAA Regional tournament thanks to an 86-70 loss to Minnesota-Duluth, the third loss to the Bulldogs that season.
By the time Natalie’s sophomore year rolled around she started all 37 games, averaging 15.6 points per game, shooting .467 from the floor and swiped 95 steals. After a 2-4 start the Mavericks went on the run of a lifetime, finishing 32-5.
Natalie dropped 29 points on 13 of 24 shooting to claim a narrow 70-68 National Semifinal win over Cal State San Marcos. She then scored 27 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with three steals as the Mavericks earned an 89-73 victory over Texas Woman’s University to bring home the program’s second National Championship.
Last season she averaged an even 20 points per game while adding 86 steals and shooting 40% from 3-point range. The Mavericks went 25-8 and fell in the second round of the NCAA Regional tournament in a 94-91 loss to Pittsburg State.
But so far this season the Mavericks may be on the verge of greatness once again. With an 81-52 win over Northern State they improve to 19-0 overall, the best start in program history while also starting 13-0 in NSIC play.
Natalie is averaging 21.7 points per game and has swiped 46 steals. And now that she’s become the program’s leading scorer the Mavericks can get to work on going 20-0, and maybe get back to the National Championship game.
Oh, and that ability to keep getting better and be the best? Yeah, that hasn’t faded away, not even in the slightest.
“That’s what’s so incredible about her,” Thiesse said. “All the way through her freshman year she was able to make an impact. She improved her entire sophomore season. Even last year she added leadership to her plate. I don’t know how she’s continued to create that edge about her even through her senior year.
“That’s what I think has separated Natalie over the course of her career.”
Mitch Vosburg is a multi-time award-winning sports writer and photographer who proudly serves as sports editor for The Free Press. He can be reached at mvosburg@mankatofreepress.com. Follow him on X (@realmitchvburg) and on Instagram (@themantheycallmitch).