Wayne State College head women's basketball coach Brian Ortmeier has announced the addition of four student-athletes to fill out the 2026-27 Wildcat roster.  The group includes two transfers – Abby Aslesen (as – lease – un) from Howard, S.D. (Valley City State N.D.) and Sophia Hope of West Des Moines, Iowa (Truman State) along with high school standouts Lena Evans from Oxford, Iowa and Stella Williams of Omaha.   The quartet joins Ruth Dvoracek of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Courtney Franck from Mount Vernon, Iowa, Eleanor Griffin from Lincoln, Jadyn Kor of Pipestone, Minnesota and Avah Underwood from Council Bluffs, Iowa as members of the 2026 Wildcat recruiting class.
            "We are very excited about the final additions to our 2026-27 roster," remarked Coach Ortmeier.  "We've added speed, shooting athleticism and most importantly, all four student-athletes love to compete.  We can't wait to have them on campus in the fall!"
            Aslesen is a 6-0 forward and will have two years of eligibility with the Wildcat program.  This past season she accounted for 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Vikings after being named North Star Athletic Association Freshman of the Year in 2024-25 with averages of 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds a game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field.  In high school, Aslesen was a basketball and volleyball standout at Howard High School where she was finalist for Miss Basketball South Dakota her senior season after averaging 20.5 points and 13.7 rebounds per contest and was a two-time Class B All-State selection.
            "Abby has a knack for rebounding the basketball and is a threat to pull in a double-double every game," said Ortmeier.  "She brings a ton of versatility on defense and provides a shot-blocking presence in the half court."
            Hope is a 5-11 power forward and has three years of eligibility with the Wildcats.  At Truman State this past season she appeared in 11 games and accounted for 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.  During her high school career at Waukee High School in Iowa, Hope was an All-Region and All-Conference selection and averaged 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds a game her senior season helping the Warriors to the Class 5A State Semifinals with a 19-5 record and accounted for 11 points and six rebounds per game during her junior campaign.
            "Sophia is a super versatile 3-point shooting power forward that can stretch the floor on the offensive end," commented Ortmeier.  "She's a strong rebounder and a tough competitor overall that will provide leadership and experience to our program."
            Evans, a 5-8 point/shooting guard from Clear Creek Amana High School in Iowa, was a two-year starter and four-year letter winner in basketball for the Clippers.  This past season she produced 17.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.2 steals per game leading her team to a 20-3 record and the Iowa Class 4A State Tournament.  Evans was an All-State Second Team selection by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association and Iowa Print Sports Writers Association along with All-Region, All-District and unanimous All-WAMAC West honors.  As a junior she averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.6 assists per game to receive IPSWA All-State Third Team accolades to go with All-Region and First Team All-Conference. 
            "Lena is a very talented combo-guard that led her team to the Iowa State Tournament this past season," Ortmeier stated.  "She is a dynamic player on offense that can score at all three levels and also has a great IQ for the game."
            Williams, a 5-9 shooting guard from Omaha Westview High School, was a multi-sport standout in volleyball, basketball and track and field.  She became the first-ever 1,000-point scorer at Westview this season, averaging 13.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game with 80 3-pointers helping the Wolverines reach the Class A State Tournament with a 20-6 record.  Williams helped her team reach the Metro Conference Tournament championship game and was an All-Metro Conference Third Team selection this season.  She finished her high school career with 1,155 points and made 239 3-pointers.  This fall, she went out for cross country the first time and was an individual state qualifier in Class A.  Williams also excels in the classroom earning Academic All-State honors all four years. 
            "Stella can really light it up from the 3-point line, hitting 80 3's on her way to a Nebraska State Tournament appearance last season," said Ortmeier.  "She is an amazing athlete, and her skillset will translate well into our offensive and defensive systems."
            Wayne State is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 16-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  The Wildcats finished the 2025-26 season with records of 10-18 overall and 5-17 in the NSIC South Division.