Simon Signs with Avides in Bundesliga

Former Nebraska women’s basketball player Maddie Simon has signed a professional contract with the Avides Hurricanes in the German Bundesliga, the team announced on Monday, Aug. 31.

Simon, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Huskers (2016-19), after starring at Lincoln Pius X High School, will report to Rotenberg, Germany in mid-September to begin her professional playing career.

“I am super-excited, and I am so happy I have another chance to play,” Simon said. “I believe I have a lot more in me, and I can’t wait to compete. Being on the sidelines was a lot harder than I expected.”

The 6-2 forward/guard who was the 2015 Nebraska High School Player of the Year, enjoyed her best season as a Husker when she averaged 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds while starting 27 games as a junior to power Nebraska to the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Simon totaled 709 points, 336 rebounds and 133 assists while playing in 108 games for the Huskers with 48 starts in her collegiate career.

An outstanding contributor on and off the court, Simon was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2017, 2018, 2019) and a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. A Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award winner in 2017, she was also a two-time Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award recipient. She also earned Nebraska’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award as a senior in 2019.

Simon participated in the WBCA “So You Want To Be A Coach” program as part of the 2019 NCAA Women’s Final Four before earning her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska in May 2019. During the 2019-20 season, Simon was a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball program at Memphis.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to leave my GA spot at Memphis,” Simon said, “but I had a calling to keep playing and I think it will be a cool experience.”