DeKALB, IL – Former Northern Illinois University women's basketball student-athletes Courtney Woods and Ninni Salmi have signed professional contracts to play overseas in Australia and Sweden respectively.
 
Woods, from Brisbane, Australia, signed a two-year deal with the JCU Townsville Fire of Australia's Women's National Basketball League. In 2019-20, Woods wrapped up a stellar career at NIU with her second All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection after leading the Huskies with 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. She averaged 19.4 points per game in MAC play and scored at least 20 points in conference play 10 times while leading the league in free throw percentage at 85.3 percent.
 
"After five years of playing on the other side of the world, I'm very excited to return home and be given the opportunity to begin my dream of being a professional basketball player," said Woods. "I made the easy decision to sign with Townsville because it felt like the perfect fit and provides me with the opportunity to learn from great coaches and players. I believe Townsville will provide me with the tools and support to make the jump from collegiate to professional basketball."
 
One of three players in NIU history to score at least 2,000 career points, Woods is second on the NIU career scoring list with 2,216 points. She holds the NIU career records for three-pointers made (327) and games played (130). As a sophomore, Woods became the first player in NIU women's basketball history to make over 100 three-pointers in a single season with 105 in the 2016-17 season. Woods led the MAC in scoring the next year with 22.1 points per game.
 
Salmi, a native of Kauhajoki, Finland, signed with Wetterbygden Sparks which plays in the top women's basketball league in Sweden. As a senior in 2019-20, Salmi averaged 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She appeared in 47 games over two seasons in DeKalb after transferring from the University of San Francisco.
 
"Wetterbygden has a young and hungry team and that is exactly where I am as a player as well," Salmi said. "I really look forward to getting started and working with the team and [head] coach [Krumesh] Patel. The Swedish league is interesting and I hope I can help the team get as high as possible in the table."
 
--NIU--