HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky women's basketball team was back at it today, as the first official 2021-22 practice for the Norse is in the books from BB&T Arena Monday afternoon.
 
"I think our team over the last five years has done a really nice job of building good culture here of just hard work and toughness," head coach Camryn Whitaker discussed prior to practice. "We always have that mind set in every day of practice and when we come out for games that we're going to be the hardest working team on the floor. I think that's what everybody can expect to see from this team this year."  NKU is poised to make a run at the Horizon League title this season and beyond, as the program returns four out of five starters from last year. The team also sees five additional returners from a year ago as well. 

"This year we're a hard working team, wanting to win each game and of course looking to win the Horizon League," said junior guard Ivy Turner. "We're just here to fight for every game and win every game hopefully."

Lindsey Duvall and Turner will look to command Northern Kentucky on the floor during the 2021-22 campaign as the duo combined to lead the Norse in most statistical categories. 

Duvall finished the year averaging 16.9 points per game, along with 7.8 rebounds per game to earn herself an All-Horizon League second team selection last season. She reached double figures in scoring in all 19 games, including five 20-point performances. Turner was rewarded for her efforts as well, earning an All-Horizon League third team selection after averaging 11.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists during the 2020-21 campaign. 

Grayson Rose and Carissa Garcia round of the remaining two returners who saw significant starts a season ago. Rose finished the year third on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.7 per game, and added 7.7 points per game as well. Garcia averaged 8.3 points per game for the Norse, along with shooting 35 percent from the field and was a 33 percent three-point shooter as well.  

Northern Kentucky will also welcome back Kennedy Igo, Tayah Irvin, Christyan Reid, Emmy Souder and Ellie Taylor who all saw in-game action last season.  Souder started all 32 contests in 2019-20, but was sidelined for half of the 2020-21 season.

Joining the Norse for the 2021-22 year will be transfers Joelle Johnson,  who previously attended Georgia State, and sophomore Whitney Hay, who most recently was at Belmont. Johnson saw action in 23 games during her sophomore campaign for GSU, registering 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 47 percent from the floor. Hay during her first collegiate season posted multiple impressive games with Belmont which included racking up a team-high 14 points with six rebounds and four assists against SIUE and recording 12 points on perfect 4-of-4 clip from 3-point range versus Tennessee State.
 
Whitaker's squad will welcome four total freshmen this season, as Kailee Davis (Detroit, Mich.), Khamari Mitchell-Steen (Oak Rdige, Tenn.), Paige Hodgson (Beaver Dam, Wis.), and Trinity Thompson (Gary, Ind.) all look to strengthen this talented NKU program. 

"We talk about that throughout the course of a game, throughout the course of practice just next play, next possession, focusing more on the here and the now," Coach Whitaker continued. "While we have those long-term goals in mind, we want to win every game that we play so we take it one game at a time and just prepare each day to get better and hopefully at the end of the season it pays off."

To get a first look at NKU women's basketball for the upcoming season, mark your calendars for Nov. 1 as the Norse will hose the University of Pikeville in an exhibition matchup inside BB&T Arena. Tip-off is still TBD so be sure to stay up to date with all things NKU Basketball and follow @NKUNorseWBB on social media and check NKUnorse.com for all schedule updates as well.