Nina Carlson is a native of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and joined the University of Idaho women's basketball team as a freshman in the 2017-18 season after graduating from Lake City Highschool. Carlson has played in 69 games, including five starts, for the Vandals over her four-year career. She has scored 92 points and totaled 90 rebounds during her time at Idaho. She scored a career-high eight points and had a career-high six rebounds in 2018 against San Francisco.
Carlson started playing basketball originally largely in part to the influence of her parents who are both college basketball coaches.