Women's Basketball Welcomes Nikitinaite as Transfer
5/21/2020 10:44:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Former NIU guard comes to GW for final year of eligibility
WASHINGTON - GW women's basketball head coach Jennifer Rizzotti announced the addition of Gabby Nikitinaite, a transfer guard from Northern Illinois, to the program on Thursday.
Nikitinaite spent the previous three seasons at NIU, appearing in 90 games with 37 career starts. Per current NCAA transfer rules, she will take a year in residence in 2020-21 and have one year of eligibility remaining in 2021-22.
"We are so excited about welcoming Gabby to our Colonial family," Rizzotti said. "She is a veteran guard who can impact the game in so many ways. We love that she has a lot of college experience and after scoring over 700 points at NIU, she is a proven scorer at the college level. She has great size for a guard and is an excellent passer, so she will fit in really well with how we want to play. We look forward to being a part of her journey, helping her develop in her final season and welcoming her to Washington, D.C."
Nikitinaite averaged 8.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg during her career with the Huskies, making her mark from beyond the arc by connecting on 31% of her career 3-point attempts. Additionally, the 5-foot-11 guard showcased her versatility with 1.9 apg, leading NIU in the category 19 times during her career. In sum, she totaled 723 points, 309 rebounds and 169 assists during her time in DeKalb.
"My decision to choose GW came from Coach Rizzotti and her coaching staff and their heavy assurance about the great opportunities I will be provided on and off the court," Nikitinaite said. "Coach Rizzotti's accomplishments, as well as her staff's, were big motivating factors for me to choose GW and I am grateful for the interest they showed for my game.
Nikitinaite spent the previous three seasons at NIU, appearing in 90 games with 37 career starts. Per current NCAA transfer rules, she will take a year in residence in 2020-21 and have one year of eligibility remaining in 2021-22.
"We are so excited about welcoming Gabby to our Colonial family," Rizzotti said. "She is a veteran guard who can impact the game in so many ways. We love that she has a lot of college experience and after scoring over 700 points at NIU, she is a proven scorer at the college level. She has great size for a guard and is an excellent passer, so she will fit in really well with how we want to play. We look forward to being a part of her journey, helping her develop in her final season and welcoming her to Washington, D.C."
Nikitinaite averaged 8.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg during her career with the Huskies, making her mark from beyond the arc by connecting on 31% of her career 3-point attempts. Additionally, the 5-foot-11 guard showcased her versatility with 1.9 apg, leading NIU in the category 19 times during her career. In sum, she totaled 723 points, 309 rebounds and 169 assists during her time in DeKalb.
"My decision to choose GW came from Coach Rizzotti and her coaching staff and their heavy assurance about the great opportunities I will be provided on and off the court," Nikitinaite said. "Coach Rizzotti's accomplishments, as well as her staff's, were big motivating factors for me to choose GW and I am grateful for the interest they showed for my game.
"Also, I am very excited for the academic opportunities that GW will provide me, which will greatly help me in life after basketball. I can't wait to settle in and begin working towards a greater goal with a talented team and staff."
Nikitinaite reached double figures 36 times in her three seasons with NIU and was the team's second-leading scorer as a sophomore in 2018-19 with 12.1 ppg while starting 20 of 32 games. This past year, she averaged 7.2 ppg and shot a career-best 35% from beyond the arc in 30 appearances (13 starts).
A native of Lithuania, Nikitinaite grew up in Orpington, Kent, United Kingdom. She was named to the MAC All-Academic team in 2019-20. She joins Jasmine Whitney (Pitt) as one of two transfers new to the Colonials roster this year. GW will welcome five new student-athletes to the program overall this fall, including incoming first-years Ali Brigham, Aurea Gingras and Caranda Perea.
A native of Lithuania, Nikitinaite grew up in Orpington, Kent, United Kingdom. She was named to the MAC All-Academic team in 2019-20. She joins Jasmine Whitney (Pitt) as one of two transfers new to the Colonials roster this year. GW will welcome five new student-athletes to the program overall this fall, including incoming first-years Ali Brigham, Aurea Gingras and Caranda Perea.
GW Athletics: Coach Ganiyat Adeduntan Intro Event
Monday, April 07
GW v UMASS (2/26/25) Post Game Presser
Wednesday, February 26
GW v DAV (2/23/25) WBB Post Game Presser
Sunday, February 23
GW WBB vs. Fordham (02/04/25) Post Game Presser
Wednesday, February 05