HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball head coach Camryn Whitaker announced on Thursday that freshman forward Kailey Coffey has been awarded a full athletic scholarship. Coffey completed her rookie campaign as a walk-on, and has already received decoration from the Horizon League for her contributions to the Norse program.

"I am extremely proud of Kailey and her accomplishments on and off the court," said Whitaker. "She is a tireless worker and has earned everything she's achieved in her time at NKU so far. I look forward to coaching Kailey over the next three years and I'm excited for her to be on full scholarship – she deserves it!"

A native of Russell Springs, Kentucky, Coffey was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and also earned Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Dec. 11, marking the first time since Nov. 23, 2015, that an NKU rookie had garnered weekly distinction.

During the Horizon League regular season, Coffey ranked second on the team in scoring with 8.7 points per game and pulled down a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game. She also added 24 assists, 19 steals and nine blocks throughout 18 games. Her .505 shooting percentage was not only second among the freshmen in the League, but was fifth among all players. She also ranked 16^th among all rebounders in the League.

In the postseason, Coffey was vital in NKU's first-round win over Detroit Mercy. She reached the 20-point mark for the first time in her career, going 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line, and was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. She went on to post 11 points and six rebounds in NKU's quarterfinal setback to top-seeded Green Bay.

"I passed up on other offers because I felt like God wanted me here," explained Coffey. "I'm happy and thankful I found my home away from home because my teammates and coaches love me and push me to be my best."