Former UConn Women’s Basketball Star Kia Nurse Signs With Australian Club

Kia Nurse announced Thursday that she will be heading to Australia this fall to continue her professional career with the University of Canberra Capitals.

The Capitals are one of eight teams in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). The team has been a part of the league since 1986 and has won the WNBL Grand Final (the league’s championship) seven times. However, the Capitals have not qualified for the finals in the past seven seasons. They hope that the addition of Nurse will help them put an end to that streak.

After completing her senior season at UConn this spring, Nurse was drafted 10th overall to the WNBA’s New York Liberty. In her first season in the league, she has posted 8.7 points per game while averaging just over 21 minutes. Her rookie campaign has included three 20-plus point performances, including a 34-point game in June.

The New York Liberty have been eliminated from playoff contention, so Nurse’s WNBA season will end on August 19. Prior to heading down under, she will play for the Canadian national team in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain at the end of September.