Signing Day 2021: Hopkins’ Nnaji off to Arizona, Battle to Gophers
[anvplayer video=”5069590″ station=”998122″]
The Hopkins girls basketball team had center Maya Nnaji sign with powerhouse Arizona and guard Amaya Battle with the Gophers on Wednesday, National Signing Day.
KSTP Sports spoke with Nnaji and Battle afterwards.
***Click the video box above to watch footage from the Hopkins ceremony and to hear from Nnaji and Battle***
Battle is a four-star recruit and is ranked No. 39 overall, and the No. 11 point guard in the nation, according to ESPN. The 5-foot-11 Battle is the younger sister of Gopher men’s basketball player Jamison Battle.
She won a state championship at Hopkins High School in 2019 and has won a section championship every year from 2017-21. She was an All-State selection during her junior year where she averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals per game.
Hopkins senior guard Amaya Battle signed her letter of intent on Wednesday to play for Lindsay Whalen and the Gophers.[KSTP/Chris Long]
“Amaya Battle is a guard who can finish strong at the rim, has a great midrange shot and pushes the pace on every possession,” Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen said in a news releaase. “Look out for her on the defensive end as well as she takes great pride in rebounding at her position. Her winning pedigree will make an immediate impact in our program.”
Nnaji is ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the country in the Class of 2022, according to ESPN. ESPN rates her as the third-best forward in the class. She is the younger sister of Denver Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji.