Women's Basketball | November 10

DeKALB, IL – Northern Illinois University women's basketball head coach Lisa Carlsen announced on Friday the signings of Makenzie Brass (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka), Lexi Carlsen (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore), and Julia "Bubba" Sollberger (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) to National Letters of Intent to join the Huskies for the 2024-25 season.
 
"All three of these young players are great teammates, play with a true passion for the game and want to get better each day," Carlsen said. "I love their intangibles and how they fit our culture. That's what excites me the most about the careers they will have as Huskies."
 
Brass is a 5'9" guard in her senior season at Minooka High School in Minooka, Ill. As a junior Brass averaged 13.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in earning First Team All-Southwest Prairie Conference honors for the third straight season. Brass averaged 10.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
 
Carlsen on Brass: "Makenzie is a player who plays with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm. As a multi-sport athlete, she is well-rounded and loves to compete. Her best basketball is ahead of her and I know she's anxious to get to work and focus solely on basketball."
 
Carlsen has averaged over 10 points and three assists per game in her first three years at Sycamore High School. She has led the Spartans to three consecutive Interstate 8 Conference championships. In her sophomore year Sycamore went 32-3 and reached the IHSA Class 3A Supersectionals. Carlsen has been a First Team All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention selection, along with the Interstate 8 Player of the Year. She has played for the All Iowa Attack AAU program, guiding it to the Nike Nationals championship game this past summer. Carlsen is the daughter of NIU head coach Lisa Carlsen.
 
Carlsen on Carlsen: "Lexi is coming to us from an AAU program that knows nothing but run and shoot. She will fit in well with what we are trying to do and who we want to be offensively. Her basketball IQ is her biggest asset and will allow her to really grow in a hurry at the collegiate level."
 
Sollberger is a 5'8" guard at Dunlap High School. Last season Sollberger was a First Team All-Mid-Illini Conference selection aver averaging 12.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game in leading the Eagles to an IHSA Class 3A regional championship game. As a freshman, Sollberger was on Dunlap's Mid-Illini championship game.
 
Carlsen on Sollberger: "Julia 'Bubba' is a skilled point guard who is really good at getting to the rim, has a high IQ and is a great competitor and independent worker. She will get the opportunity to learn from some seasoned veterans in the backcourt which will help her understand what it takes to compete at a high level in the Mid-American Conference."
 
The Huskies are in action on Sunday, Nov. 12 at Western Illinois. Tip-off is at 1 p.m.
 
--NIU--