2024-25 Women's Basketball Season Preview
The 2024-25 North Idaho College women's basketball team will look to bounce back after a tough first year playing in the NJCAA D1 and Scenic West Conference. What the past season did do, was allow the coaching staff to evaluate what type of talent is needed in order to recruit to be competitive and compete for conference championships. With only two returning players (Iratxe Amorrortu, Canary Island, Spain and Tayler Adams, Kennewick, WA) the Cardinals will look to bounce back from a 1-9 conference record. Head Coach Nate Covill and Assistant Coach Louie Vargas have recruited players that are going to address some of the weaknesses the team had on the court last year. Depth, size, versatility and toughness were key characteristics the coaches looked for in this recruiting class. Below are the 12 new signees coming to Coeur d'Alene this fall:
Tiarnee Smith: 6'1 FWD - Toowoomba, Queensland, AUS: Tiarnee comes to NIC after playing this past season for the Brisbane Capitals in the NBL1. What stood out to the coaches as they watched more game film on Tiarnee, is the versatility she provides with her length and size. She can play the 3-5 positions, and is able to shoot the ball from three, as well as defend centers.
Nyami Mathot: 5'9 FWD - Anchorage, AK: Nyami is physically an impressive young athlete. She too will add versatility to the program. Strong, and able to guard multiple positions on the floor, Nyami will be transitioning to more of a wing position for the Cards. Nyami's best years are ahead of her. The staff look forward to her continued growth as a student-athlete at NIC.
Molly Axel 5'6: Guard - Stockholm, Sweden: Molly stood out to the coaching staff due to her ability to play both the point and off-guard spots. She is a very capable shooter and the staff believe she will be very familiar with the offensive concepts that the Cards play with. Molly comes to NIC after competing with the Norrot Taby Basketball Club in Sweden.
Kylani Rookstool: 5 '8 Guard - Snohomish, WA: The coaching staff is really excited about the addition of Kylani. A transfer from University of St. Katherine's, an NAIA program, where she led the team in scoring and three-point shooting her freshman year. Her year of experience playing against high level NAIA players in the Cal Pac Conference will add veteran leadership the team will need this year.
Elisa Holakeituai: 5 '10 FWD - Kahuku, HI: Elisa is a naturally tough kid that will add support on the glass and toughness at the forward positions. The staff is really excited to add Elisa to the program. One of the areas the Cards needed to improve as they moved into year two in the Scenic West was toughness and help on the glass. If anyone is familiar with Kahuka High School and the athletes they produce, they will be able to understand what type of player Elisa will be for NIC and why she will be a great addition to the program.
Larkin Christiansen: 5'11 FWD - Palmer, AK: Coaches quickly noticed on film the good things Larkin offers the Cardinals. Active at running the floor, and on the glass, Larkin offers size and physicality at the forward spots. Larkin will be someone that improves quickly while focusing only on basketball for the first time. Staff is excited about Larkin's future here at NIC.
Chloe Collin: 6'0 Wing - Brampton, ONT, Canada: Chloe comes to NIC from Orangeville Prep in Brampton Ontario, Canada. She is a big, physical wing that can guard multiple positions. Versatility, physicality, good shooting and ability to help on the glass are all things Chloe provides the program. Chloe loves the work and that will lead to success in her time at NIC.
Ripeka Edward: 5'10 Guard - Hamilton, New Zealand: Quick and explosive are two words that come to mind in describing Ripeka. She also provides legit size at the perimeter spot and has great ability to get to the rim or knock down a three. However, what set her apart on film was her ability to connect with her teammates, which is something that is not easily seen when evaluating players via film. Positive energy and being a team player are qualities that the staff love about her. She is going to have a solid career at NIC.
Summer Faleafa: 6 '1 FWD - Auckland, New Zealand: Summer initially stood out to the coaches in evaluations as a young lady who can stretch the floor with the three, guard the bigs, and attack off the bounce like a wing; super quick release and a mismatch for opposing teams. Summer spent this past season playing in the NBL1 with the Maitland Mustangs. Coaches look forward to see Summer's development at NIC.
Emmalee Secrest: 5'10 Guard - Auburn, WA: Another great addition to theprogram that provides a ton of versatility to our program, Emmallee has a great basketball IQ and ability to lead teams with things that often get overlooked. She is a great communicator on the floor and played in a competitive environment both in high school and AAU. She is a person that can hurt teams in multiple ways.
Esmeralda Galindo: 5'8 Guard - Yakima, WA: Esmeralda is a great addition to the program. She finished her senior year at Yakima Davis HS, scoring over 1500 points in her high school career. Versatile and creative, Esmeralda can finish over bigs in the paint or drop a no look pass off to a big. She can fill it up from a lot of places on the floor. Staff love how she is such a capable scorer, but also how she is willing to get others involved and facilitate an offense.
Lavana Wetzel: 5 '11 FWD - Hamilton, MT: Lavana, like a lot of additions to the FWD position, provides toughness. She is a very capable rebounder and defender. Lavana has her best years of basketball in front of her and the coaches are excited to watch her growth on the North Idaho campus as she transitions to more of a wing player. Lavana comes from a great lineage of athletes in the state of Montana. Her father, Ryan, played at Northwest College in Powell, WY and finished his career at Montana State Billings, while her uncle Shawn Wetzel played for the Cardinals in the late 80's.
For more information:
Head Women's Basketball Coach Nate Covill
(208) 929-4035 or nacovill@nic.edu