DeKALB, IL – Northern Illinois University women's basketball head coach
Lisa Carlsen announced on Wednesday that Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Wisconsin), Kortney Drake (Wilton, Iowa/Kirkwood CC) and Tatiana Hodges-Johnson (Des Moines, Iowa/Kirkwood CC) will join the Huskies for the 2022-23 season. All three student-athletes will have two years of eligibility.
"This group of transfers will be great additions to our already talented core of returners," said Carlsen. "They bring experience, maturity and a winning mentality as well as being great students and tremendous young people of character. We have added talent for sure, but more importantly we have added players who are great fits for our program."
Stauffacher, a 5'11" forward from Columbus, Wis., comes to NIU after playing her first three seasons of college basketball at Wisconsin. She played in all 28 games for the Badgers this past season, tying a career-high with nine points against Illinois on Feb. 6. Stauffacher appeared in 83 games in her career at Wisconsin, averaging 13.4 minutes per game while being named to the 2021 and 2022 Academic All-Big Ten Teams. In 2019 Stauffacher was ranked as the number one player in Wisconsin by MaxPreps.com coming out of Beaver Dam High School. She finished her high school career with 1,125 points and was a part of three consecutive Wisconsin State Championship teams.
"Tara will add depth at the forward position and bring toughness to our team," Carlsen said. "She loves to work and that will continue to push our team in all facets to the next level."
Drake, a 5'9" guard from Wilton, Iowa, and Hodges-Johnson, a 5'7" guard from Des Moines, Iowa have been teammates for the last three years at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They were key parts in leading the Eagles this past year to a 36-1 record and the 2022 NJCAA Division II National Championship. Drake was named a First Team All-American after shooting 48.4 percent from the three-point line in 2022 and averaging 12.6 points per game. She was a Third-Team All-American in 2021 and has been named First Team All-Region twice. For her career at Kirkwood, Drake shot 42.8 percent from the three-point line.
"Kortney adds depth at the guard position," said Carlsen. "Fresh off a national championship and being an All-American, she knows nothing but winning. She's a great three-point shooter who will help us stretch the floor."
Hodges-Johnson started all 37 games of Kirkwood's national championship campaign this season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. She scored in double-figures 10 times in the 2021-22 season. Hodges-Johnson was a First Team All-Region selection in each of the last two seasons.
"Tati can do a little bit of everything," Carlsen said. "She's a combo guard who can defend, distribute and score at all three levels."
The trio of transfers joins forward Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) in the recruiting class for the 2022-23 season.
--NIU--
