Nicholson, 23, and 178 centimetres, is still involved in the Flames’ WNBL finals series and will join the Torns at the end of the season.

Tornadoes coach Ben Rush said he was excited about the prospect of having one of the WNBL’s rising stars.

“Lauren is a terrific addition and we’re really excited about what she can bring to the team,” Rush said.

“She has had a strong rookie season with the Flames and will be a dangerous weapon alongside Lauren Mansfield and Mikaela Ruef.

“Her key skill is shooting and that’s the thing she is really strong at –  she has good size for a guard and will help with our team rebounding and will fit in really nicely alongside Lauren and Mikaela. Any team which focuses too much on stopping either of those two will put themselves in jeopardy as Lauren is a high-level shooter.”

A Sydney native, Nicholson spent the past four years studying and playing with St Marys College in the US where many Australian players have developed their basketball.

“Through my conversations with her I’m confident she’ll be a good fit as a person also,” Rush said.

“I know she is excited at the opportunity to expand her game with the Tornadoes and progress her career in the WNBL as players like Lauren, Mikaela, Ally (Wilson) and Tayla (Roberts) have done.”

Tornadoes chairwoman Janie Finlay said she believed Nicholson would fit smoothly into the club’s program and local basketball community.

“We continue to look at developing our club by bringing in a young player with huge potential and we look forward to Lauren joining our team,” Finlay said. “We are sure she will soon become a crowd favourite after having a great season in the WNBL.”

Nicholson was part of the Flames squad from 2009-11 before heading to California for college.