Huskers Sign Top In-State Recruit Taylor Kissinger

The top-ranked high school recruit in the state of Nebraska, Taylor Kissinger signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Nebraska women’s basketball team for the 2017-18 season on the first day of the fall signing period on Wednesday, Nov. 9.

Kissinger, a 6-1 forward/guard from Minden, was ranked as the No. 26 player in the nation by Prospects Nation and continued to climb in the national player rankings after a strong summer of 2016. She is ranked as the No. 40 player in the nation by ESPN and No. 44 by Blue Star Basketball. Kissinger is the only prep player from the state of Nebraska ranked among the nation’s top 100 recruits in the 2017 signing class.

She was also one of five Nebraska players on the 2016 USA Today High School Sports All-Nebraska team in 2015-16, joining future Husker teammate and 2016 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year Rylie Cascio Jensen.

First-year Nebraska head coach Amy Williams said Kissinger’s consistent shooting ability, outstanding range and basketball intelligence would help the Huskers in the future.

“Taylor is an incredible addition to our program, and we are very fortunate to have a player of her status on the national level within the borders of our own state,” Williams said. “She is a Nebraska native that has grown up understanding how special it is to be a Husker, and she is very motivated to shine in a Nebraska uniform. Taylor brings consistent perimeter scoring, a high basketball IQ, and the intangibles to fit the culture we are working to establish. Husker fans are going to be excited to watch this dynamic Nebraska native for years to come.”

Kissinger, who missed nearly half of her junior season at Minden High School with a broken wrist in 2015-16, averaged 28.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Whippets following her return to the court. She earned second-team Super-State honors as a junior and is a two-time first-team Class C-1 all-stater (2015, 2016).

Kissinger said she chose Nebraska because of her familiarity with the program.

“The more I got to know Coach Williams and her staff, the more comfortable I got, and I just really like the staff,” Kissinger said. “When I was a little kid I always thought about playing for the Huskers, so I want to make my dreams come true.”

In 2015, Kissinger became the first sophomore in history to be named the Kearney Hub Territory Player of the Year after averaging 25.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while hitting 62 three-pointers. She was also a third-team All-Nebraska selection as a sophomore in 2015.

Kissinger claimed second-team Class C-1 all-state honors as a freshman in 2014 after averaging 16.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She also tied a Nebraska state tournament record by knocking down seven three-pointers in an opening-round win over Lincoln Lutheran.

Kissinger’s older twin sisters are both Division I guards, with Brooke entering her first season at Creighton after spending her first two seasons at Illinois, and Jamie entering her third season at San Diego.

Taylor Kissinger, who played her club basketball last season for the All-Iowa Attack after previously playing for the Cornhusker Shooting Stars, also was invited to compete in the USA Basketball U16 National Team Trials in Colorado Springs. She chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State and Creighton. She also received offers from Arizona State, Louisville, Iowa, Iowa State and Illinois among others.

Kissinger’s parents, Brian and Amy, were both collegiate student-athletes, with Brian playing basketball and Amy playing volleyball at NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney. Taylor’s brother Derek played college basketball at NAIA Hastings College.