HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky women's basketball head coach Camryn Whitaker announced the addition of Carissa Garcia and Tayah Irvin as the pair signed their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday morning.
 
Garcia is a 5-7 guard out of Concordia Lutheran in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Garcia was named a nominee for the Tiffany Gooden Award in the 2017-18 campaign, which is presented to the most outstanding basketball player in the Summit Athletic Conference. In her junior campaign, Garcia averaged 20.1 points per game to go with 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per contest, helping the Cadets post a 17-8 record. This year, Garcia is off to a strong start to her capstone year, averaging 25.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game through the first three contests. Garcia also plays club ball under Danny Riego for Indy Lady Gym Rats Silver EYBL, where she has been named to the all-star team of numerous tournaments.
 
What Coach Whitaker is saying about Carissa Garcia: "I'm so excited that Carissa chose to be a part of our family at NKU! She is an elite level scorer who plays with great pace, can finish around the basket and has the ability to shoot the three from anywhere on the court. The thing that impresses me most about Carissa is her tireless work ethic and the competitive mentality she brings to the court! Not only does she bring a different level of strength, speed and scoring ability, her leadership and maturity are qualities that will impact our program immediately. "

Irvin is a 6-2 forward from Fishers, Indiana, where she preps at Hamilton Southeastern. She has been heralded for her defensive prowess and was tabbed the Royals' best defender. A four-year letterwinner at Hamilton Southeastern, Irvin is averaging 5.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in her career. In her senior campaign, Ivin has been chipping in 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, helping the Royals lock down on defense as HSE has held opponents under 25 points in two of its four victories. Irvin plays club ball under Tony Marlin for the Indiana Flight Thunder.
 
What Coach Whitaker is saying about Tayah Irvin: "What Tayah will bring to our team is something that cannot be quantified in numbers! She is one of the most unselfish and relentless workers I have ever watched play the game. At 6-foot-2, she has the ability to defend any position. Her athleticism and speed will allow us to play at a much quicker pace! Tayah is a great rebounder, consistently gets extra possessions and is someone I consider to be a "glue kid," which every successful team needs. I can't wait to see Tayah emerge on the offensive end of the floor in college, her best days are ahead and we could not be more thrilled to have her at NKU!"