The Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team announced on May 5 the addition of forward Nicole Fritea from the transfer portal. Head coach Greg Todd said Fritea, who stands at 6-foot-2, will join the Colonels’ roster for the 2026-27 season as their second portal addition this offseason.
Fritea comes to EKU after spending her freshman year with the University of Maryland, where she played in 12 games off the bench, including five Big Ten contests. She contributed to a nationally ranked Terrapins squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. During her time at Maryland, Fritea scored a total of 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds over 53 minutes in a developmental role.
“Nicole brings a unique combination of international play and high-level college basketball experience from her time at Maryland,” said Todd. “She has great size, touch and feel for the game. We’re excited about the impact she can have on our program moving forward.”
Before joining Maryland, Fritea competed internationally with Romania’s U18, U19, and U20 national teams. She led Romania in rebounding and player efficiency from 2023 to 2025 and played club basketball for CSB Oradea. In recent international competitions such as the FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers, she averaged between 5.6 and 8.7 points per game across two years.
The Colonels recently won their eleventh conference championship by capturing the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title in 2026 and achieved three consecutive seasons with more than twenty wins—a first for their program. Todd was named ASUN Coach of the Year while four players received all-conference honors.
Fritea is expected to arrive on campus this summer ahead of offseason workouts.
