NDSU Women’s Basketball Adds Three on Signing Day

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State women’s basketball head coach Jory Collins has announced the addition of three players on signing day.

Karrington Asp, Sophie Hawkinson and McKenna Johnson will join the Bison in 2025.

“This is a great high school class for us,” said Collins. “All three of these players will have a major impact on Bison women’s basketball the next four years. As a group, they all have elite traits we covet as a coaching staff and team. This is a class our fans should be really excited about.”

Asp is a four-year letterwinner at Western Dubuque high school and averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during her junior season. The 6-2 forward has posted 901 points, 494 rebounds and 127 blocks over three seasons and was two-time All-Conference First Team selection. Asp was a top-100 recruit on Dan Olson’s Collegiate Basketball Report ranked 92nd and was also the 11th ranked prospect in Iowa according to Prep Girls Hoops.

“We could not be more excited to sign a player of Karrington’s caliber here at NDSU,” said Collins. “She is already a big, strong, physical kid who has great athleticism to go with it. She will have the ability to affect the game on both ends at a high level. We see her playing both the four and five spot for us and creating multiple matchup problems. She has post player size with guard skills. Karrington is going to be an early enrollee and redshirt with us this next semester. We can’t wait to get to work with her in January.”

Hawkinson is a four-year letterwinner at Wayzata High School and averaged 14.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in her junior season. The 5-8 guard was selected to the All-Conference First Team in both her sophomore and junior seasons along with being an All-State Honorable Mention. Hawkinson has totaled 965 points over three seasons. She was the ninth-ranked prospect in Minnesota according to Prep Girls Hoops. Hawkinson was also high school teammates with current Bison Abby Krzewinski.

“Sophie is a combo guard who will play both the one and two for us,” said Collins. “The one thing that will stand out right away with Soph is her toughness and competitiveness. She is a great athlete who can push the pace offensively and wreak havoc defensively with relentless ball pressure.  Over the course of her high school and AAU career, she has hit big shots at big times and has delivered in the biggest moments for her teams. She is a winner more than anything.”

Johnson is a four-year letterwinner at Mandan High School and averaged 14.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in her junior season. The 6-2 forward set the single-season mark for blocks with 105 and set the career blocks record with 205. Johnson is a three-time WDA All-Conference selection and earned All-State Second Team honors twice. She was the second-ranked prospect in North Dakota according to Prep Girls Hoops and was ranked 248th on Dan Olson’s Collegiate Basketball report.

“I love to have the high-level North Dakota kids coming to play at NDSU,” said Collins. “McKenna is someone we offered a couple years ago and it’s been fun to watch her mature as an athlete. She is a terrific shot blocker and rebounder. Her timing in getting off the floor to block and alter shots is something that you can’t teach. As she gets in the weight room and matures, she is going to be a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the Summit League.”

NDSU will be back in action hosting Jamestown on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.