FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa women's basketball welcomes four new players for the 2026-27 season, as announced by head coach Justin Maass. With the class finalized, the Peacocks aim to continue their three-straight GLVC Tournament streak this season.
Upper Iowa added three freshmen and one transfer to the roster for the upcoming season. The class features two players from Minnesota in Jessica Fisher and Aubrie Klug. Cora Widel joins UIU from Maquoketa High School in Iowa. Kirkwood Community College transfer Kana Nagashima hails from Tokyo, Japan.
Read more about the signees below!
Jessica Fisher (F, 6-2, Fr., Owatonna, Minn. / Owatonna HS)
Fisher joins the Peacocks from Owatonna High School in Minnesota, where the Huskies won a combined 40 games in her junior and senior seasons. This included helping Owatonna to a 22-6 record during her junior campaign.
She averaged 6.9 points, six rebounds, three steals and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. She ended her career totaling 335 points (5.6 per game) to go along with 269 rebounds (4.5 per game), 141 steals (2.4 per game) and 104 assists (1.7 per game).
"Jessica embodies everything we're looking for in a student-athlete," Maass said. "She's a long, athletic post player with a tremendous passion for basketball, and we know she'll put in the work every single day to maximize her potential. Just as importantly, she comes from a wonderful family and will be an outstanding addition to the culture we're building within our program. We're excited about the growth she'll experience and the impact she'll make over the next four years."
Aubrie Klug (G, 5-11, Fr., Caledonia, Minn. / Caledonia HS)
Klug joins Ava Privet and Josie Foster as Caledonia High School graduates currently on the roster. She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in program history with 2,055 points. During her senior season, she averaged 26.2 points per game and made more than 120 3-pointers after shooting 39% from behind the arc.
She was also named the Fillmore County Journal Basketball Athlete of the Year and was an All-Three Rivers Conference selection. The Warriors posted a 20-6 record during her senior season with a State Tournament appearance.
"We're excited to welcome Aubrie to our program," Maass said. "She's a proven winner and one of the most accomplished players to come through her high school, finishing as the all-time leading scorer while establishing herself as a tremendous shooter and playmaker. Aubrie will continue the Caledonia-to-UIU pipeline, like Katie Tornstrom, Ava Privet and Josie Foster. She comes from a terrific family, and we're excited to see the impact she'll have both on and off the court."
Kana Nagashima (G, 5-6, Jr., Tokyo, Japan / Tokyo Metropolitan Kodaira Senior HS / Ellsworth CC)
Nagashima played 28 games this past season for Ellsworth Community College, averaging five points per game. She scored a season-high 17 points last November against State Fair Community College. Nagashima also grabbed 56 rebounds and dished out 41 assists. Before Ellsworth, Nagashima played at Allen Community College in Kansas, appearing in 10 games.
"Kana's passion for the game is evident in everything she does," Maass said. "It takes a special kind of person to move across the world to pursue the opportunity to play college basketball, and that speaks volumes about her work ethic, determination and love for the game. She's an outstanding athlete who competes relentlessly, especially on the defensive end where she has a knack for making life difficult for opponents. Kana's drive and willingness to work every day make her a perfect fit for the culture we want at Upper Iowa."
Cora Widel (G, 6-1, Fr., Andrew, Iowa / Maquoketa HS)
Widel joins Upper Iowa after a highly accomplished career at Maquoketa High School that included a Class 3A State Championship this past season. She is the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,437 career points. Widel averaged 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game in 2025-26.
During the championship run this past season, Widel was named the Iowa Class 3A All-State Tournament Team MVP. She scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the championship game while averaging 16.6 points per game in the tournament overall.
Widel's standout season earned her River Valley Conference Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection. She was the Telegraph Herald All-Area Girls Player of the Year. The Des Moines Register, Iowa Girls Coaches Association (IGCA) and Iowa Print Sports Writers Association (IPSWA) all selected her to their Class 3A First Teams. In addition to these numerous accolades, she broke school records in points in a game (38), blocks in a game (eight) and free throws made in a row in a game (14).
She was also a star on the track as a five-time state track medalist. Widel holds the Maquoketa school records in the 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and 1600m medley. She also put in the work in the classroom after graduating top 20 in her class.
"Cora is exactly the type of versatile athlete we love to bring into our program," Maass said. "Her length, athleticism and ability to impact the game in a variety of roles make her an exciting addition, and she's proven she knows how to win after helping lead her team to a state championship. Beyond her talent, Cora is a high-character young woman from a great family who fits the culture we're building. We can't wait to watch her continue to develop at Upper Iowa."
