Women's Basketball Announces Four Signees for 2024-25 Class

Murray State women's basketball announced four signees on Monday as part of National Signing Day for the early signing period. The signees consist of of talent from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Australia.

Below are accolades and highlights of each of the four signees:

Brooke Nichelson, Guard, 5-10, London, Ky.

Helped lead North Laurel HS to back-to-back KHSAA 13th region championships
Named All-State Honorable mention by the Lexington Herald-Leader
As a junior, averaged 18 points and 9.8 rebounds and shot 47 percent on three-point attempts
Led the Jaguars to a 29-6 record as a junior and an appearance in the KHSAA state tournament

"Brooke will bring terrific length and athleticism to our perimeter attack," said Head Coach Rechelle Turner. "She can put defenses under pressure with deep range, and when opponents try to take away the three point shot, Brooke can attack and score in the mid range and finish at the basket. Her physical attributes will be an excellent fit for our full court pressure and transition offense, and we hope the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor will be a consistent hallmark of this class. As impressive as Brooke's skills are, we appreciate her competitiveness even more. She wants to pursue championships at Murray State, and we are very excited to welcome her to the Racer family."

Azaleeah Oloapu, Forward, 5-11, Sydney, Australia

Captained the U-16 Somoan women's basketball team to a FIBA U16 Women's Asian Championship 2022 Division B
2024 Sydeney South West Champions
2024 Sydney South West Tournament MVP
In the 2022 FIBA Women's Polynesian Basketball Cup, averaged 12.8 points and 13 rebounds

"Azaleeah comes to us from Australia, and we expect her to fortify our front line down under the basket for years to come," said Coach Turner. "She has a powerful frame, built for rugged play around the hoop, and she is more than willing to provide a physical presence on the backboards. She balances her power with terrific footwork and mobility, and she will be able to provide scoring in the post and on the perimeter. Talented post players with the ability to score, defend, and rebound are hard to come by, and they are incredibly valuable in today's game. Azaleeah certainly qualifies as one of those post players, and we are very excited to welcome her to the Racer family."

Jaidynn Askins, Forward, 6-1, Jackson, Tenn.

Led Jackson Southside HS to a 34-0 TSSAA state championship in 2023
In 2022, finished as a state runner-up
Three-time all district and all-region performer
Two-Time TSSAA all-state honoree
Won region MVP

"Jaidynn is the first Tennessee product to join our program during my tenure, and I am thrilled to say the Volunteer state is sending us one of the finest athletes our program has ever had," said Coach Turner. Jaidynn is built to thrive in our uptempo system. Opposing forwards will have to deal with her tremendous speed in transition, and she can attack the basket off the dribble and make mid range jump shots in our half court offense. Defensively, Jaidynn will be fantastic in our full court pressure, and she has the versatility to guard almost every position in the half court. She has experienced winning a state championship at the high school level, and we are very excited to welcome her and that title winning experience to the Racer family.

Gabby Spink, Guard, 5-9, Haubstadt, Ind.

Three-time Indiana All-State honoree
Most points in a single season in Gibson Southern HS history
Career and single season assist record holder at GSHS
Won the 2024 3-A Indiana state championship going 26-4 on the year

"Gabby will bring much needed size and physical strength to our backcourt," said Coach Turner. The Missouri Valley Conference is one of the nation's toughest women's basketball conferences, and Gabby will be ready to match that toughness on both ends of the floor when she arrives on campus. She is a fine shooter and scorer, but her greatest offensive weapon is elite level passing that will elevate the play of her teammates. Gabby's selflessness and work ethic will make her a natural leader for our program. She will be a great addition to championship chasing culture, and we are very excited to welcome her to the Racer family.

Murray State University Athletics

Women's Basketball Announces Four Signees for 2024-25 Class

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