PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania's head women's basketball coach, Mike McLaughlin, has announced the addition of Nikola Kovacikova to the Quakers' roster for the 2020-21 season. Kovacikova comes to Penn after playing at Georgetown University the last two years and will have two years of eligibility with the Quakers.
 
"Our coaching staff knew within minutes of the recruiting process that Nikola was a perfect fit for Penn," said McLaughlin. "She is a well-rounded student-athlete who is the ultimate competitor and exhibits a strong love and passion for the game of basketball. Niki is an extremely tough player and phenomenal teammate who gives us a lot of flexibility at the guard position. With the high level of experience she has, both at the collegiate level and internationally, Niki brings the maturity and leadership skills to make an immediate impact on our program."
 
NIKOLA (NIKI) KOVACIKOVA
5-10 | Guard
Krskany, Slovakia | St. Vincent de Paul Levice (Georgetown)
 
2019-20 (Georgetown): Appeared in 27 game with 12 starts … Georgetown's third-leading scorer averaging 7.9 ppg as well as pulling in 3.2 rpg … Tallied 64 assists on the season … Scored 12 points with seven rebounds in season opener at Davidson ... Led the Hoyas with 15 points in loss to Richmond (11/12) ... Had eight points in loss to Fresno State (11/30) ... Scored 10 points against Creighton (12/29) ... Led GU with 15 points at St. John's (1/3) ... Had 14 points and five rebounds vs. Xavier (1/10) ... Scored 13 points at Villanova (1/18) ... Led the Hoyas with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her first-career double-double to Seton Hall (1/31) ... Recorded another double-double with 10 points and as many boards in win at Xavier (2/9) ... Led GU with 12 points and six assists against Villanova (2/16) ... Scored 11 points vs. DePaul (2/21).
 
2018-19 (Georgetown): Won the team's Newcomer of the Year Award … Played in all 35 games with eight starts to her credit … Averaged 4.0 ppg as well as 1.8 rpg …  Had 39 assists and 13 steals on the year … Scored 15 points with five rebounds in win against Maryland-Eastern Shore (11/9) ... Had seven boards in win over Loyola (11/13) ... Had seven points in win at Providence (1/4) ... Managed 13 points going 3 for 4 from beyond the arc at No. 8/7 Marquette (2/8) ... Had two points and two rebounds in win at Butler (3/1) ... Tallied 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists in WNIT win over Sacred Heart (3/22) ... Scored 12 points in WNIT win over Harvard (3/24) … BIG EAST All-Academic ... Played for her national team that summer.
 
Prior to Georgetown: A member of the Slovak women's national team which took eighth place at EuroBasket in 2018 … A member of the national team pool for four years and won a silver medal at the European U-20 Championship … Appeared in seven FIBA events, averaging double digits at the 2018 U-18 Women's European Championship and the 2015 U-16 Women's European Championship … The top scorer in junior leagues for six seasons and earned team MVP honors on five occasions … Named league MVP and was the top scorer during a stint in the 2015-16 European Girls Basketball League … Won a 3-on-3 world championship in a high school tournament competing against trios from all over the world … Played with UKF Nitra in Slovakia.
 
Personal: Daughter of Viera Kovacikova and Peter Kovacik … Mother played professional basketball and won a silver medal at the 1997 European Women's Basketball Championship (EuroBasket Women 1997) with Slovakia … Enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.
 
Why Penn? "Since I was a little child, I have been a perfectionist in everything I did. My determination, never-give-up personality, and high goals have always guided me in my life. With Penn being a world-class university, I believe I can achieve the excellence I have been always aiming for—not only in academics, but also at basketball. Thus, I was able to find the perfect fit for my personality."