Laszewski signs letter of intent to play basketball at Wisconsin

Abby Laszewski, center with hat, and her parents and friends share in the excitement of Abby’s signing to attend Wisconsin next fall. (Photo courtesy Alex Benedict)

AVON — Earlier this month, Avon senior Abby Laszewski signed her letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin next winter. Laszewski is one of two top 100 recruits that signed to play with the Badgers in the Big 10.

Laszewski, a 6-foot-3 forward, is a four-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 75 recruit in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz. In 2014, she participated in the USA U-17 basketball trials after averaging 14.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and three blocks per game as a sophomore for Avon. As a sophomore, she earned All-State and All-NCCC honors along with second team Connecticut All-USA Today selection. She was named the MVP of the conference tournament.

She saw limited action as a junior, missing nearly the entire regular season (18 of 20 games) with a foot injury suffered at the end of the volleyball season. However, she did play in the NCCC Tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. Laszewski averaged 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in 10 games, including eight post-season contests in the NCCC and Class L tournaments. 

With her parents watching, Abby Laseswski signs her letter of intent to attend Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy Alex Benedict)

The girls basketball season begins Tuesday, Dec. 15, when Avon hosts E.O. Smith-Storrs at 7 p.m. It will be Avon’s first season in the Central Connecticut Conference.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to play at Wisconsin since it’s always been my dream school,” Laszewski said.

Her father, Jay, is a former Wisconsin basketball player. He played for the Badgers under head coach Steve Yoder from 1983-86.

“Abby will have the distinct honor of continuing the legacy of being a Badger basketball player as she follows in the footsteps of her father, Jay who played on the men’s team back in the 80s,” Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Bobby Kelsey said. “We had the good fortune to see her play early last year and decided that she had just the right skill set and pedigree to join our program. Abby felt the same about us and decided that she did not want to wait any longer to make her collegiate decision.

“She is a dominant force in the paint because of her length and basketball IQ,” Kelsey said. “Standing 6-3, Abby can also shoot the 3, score around the basket, rebound and, of course, block shots. She will add to our frontline depth next season. We have big plans for how we want to use her and she has even bigger plans for herself.”

Laszewski also played three years of volleyball for Avon, earning All-NCCC honors in her sophomore and junior seasons. She had career-highs in kills (298) and serving aces (57) this season along with 14 blocks in Avon’s first year in the Central Connecticut Conference.

She finished her volleyball career at Avon with 850 career kills in four seasons along with 117 serving aces and 121 blocks.