Name: Courtney Woods

Position: Guard/Forward

Hometown: Brisbane, Australia

Favorite sports team(s): Brisbane Broncos (Australia) & the Seattle Seahawks

Interesting fact: Flames on her car and a dollar sign on her hood.

When you started playing basketball: 4 years old

Woods said she followed in her mother’s footsteps, as she began playing “mini-ball” at an early age alongside basketball players in Sydney, Australia. Her mother, Dana, played basketball for the Sutherland Sharks, a professional team in Sydney. Woods began her playing career as a part of the kid’s club team, which mainly consisted of the professional team’s children.

Athlete idol/role model: Klay Thompson

“I just like the way he plays,” Woods said. “I think he has the most beautiful shot I’ve ever seen form wise. I like the way he shoots the ball and the way he contributes to the team in a lot of different ways.”

Court strengths: Shooting

“I think I can shoot the ball very well,” Woods said. “I think I am a big guard, so I can shoot over little guards. I think I can see the floor pretty well, especially being a junior where I can always find Mikayla [Voigt].”

Court weaknesses: Footspeed and defense

“I have to guard girls that are a lot smaller than me, so that often doesn’t really go well,” Woods said. “I am not very fast, and I am not like super athletic, so if I wasn’t big, and like, could shoot, I probably wouldn’t be playing Division I basketball.”

Best friend on the team: Gabby Nikitinaite

“Gabby is just always down to hang out,” Woods said. “She is just one of my best buds. Ever since she got here, we’ve been best friends since day one. She is always willing to do whatever, and she is just extremely funny and easygoing.”

Why you enjoy playing for NIU: Family vibes

“I like playing for NIU because it is a very family-like atmosphere,” Woods said. “It is all of my best friends that I get to play with every day and hangout with every day. I also love that the same people come to every game, and it really gets me going for game day.”

Woods has appeared as a starter in all 20 games this season for the Huskies and averages a team-high 21.6 points and just under eight rebounds per game.

Woods ranks No. 2 in overall scoring in the Mid-American Conference and was recently named MAC West Co-Player of the Week. She averaged a double-double in two games Wednesday and Saturday, scoring 27 points and reeling in just over 12 rebounds. Woods shot 21-of-37 from the field, including an outstanding 53 percent from behind the arc in that time span.

The junior guard said she looks forward to winning some games and continues to be optimistic about the team’s future.

“It doesn’t really matter how you are playing right now, it matters how you are playing in March,” Woods said. “I am looking forward to Cleveland and finally putting all of the pieces together to get some wins.”