May 2018

SPORTS
by Jason Stromberg
Abbey Hsu
Abbey Hsu had an extra bounce
in her step last summer when
she was practicing with her AAU
travel basketball team, the Miami
Suns. So much of a bounce that
Hsu actually grabbed the rim and
pulled it down. Hsu, a 6-foot junior
guard and forward at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School,
had the feat videotaped by one of
her teammates.
“I was so impressed,” Eagles coach Marilyn Rule said. “It’s
one thing to touch it, but it’s another thing to grab it. It was
remarkable. She actually grabbed the whole rim and pulled it
down.”
For Rule, it was the first time she had ever witnessed one of
her players rattle the rim. “It’s a feat that I have never had a
player in 25 years achieve,” said Rule, who recently capped
her fourth season at the helm with Douglas. “It didn’t come
as much of a surprise because I know how hard she works.
She’s a kid that will continue to grow and get better. She can
play anywhere. That’s the type of player that colleges are
looking for.”
The Miami Suns, which includes as an alumni Sylvia Fowles,
the 2015 WNBA Finals MVP and 2017 WNBA MVP, are
the first major offseason summer team that Hsu has played
for. “It’s been a goal of mine to touch the rim, but I wasn’t
expecting to do it that day,” Hsu said. “I had an extra bounce
in my step. It is a goal of mine to dunk a basketball.”
the ball, or winning or losing,” said Hsu, who has been on the
varsity team as a freshman. “It’s a game of learning how to
play with others, being there for your teammates. Your team is
your family.”
Even during a rebuilding year this season, Hsu guided the
Eagles (15-8) to a runner-up finish to Deerfield Beach in District
11-9A. The Bucks landed in the state final four. “We weren’t
disappointed this year. We didn’t have that many returning
players. We had JV players move up to varsity,” Hsu said.
“Last year, we had a lot more players with experience. We
proved people wrong last year. This year, it was about seeing
what we could do.”
Despite tearing her right ACL in the district semifinals before
halftime against Coral Springs, Hsu expects to be at full
strength come the Eagles’ next basketball season. She credits
her trainer, James Ford, for giving her good advice. “He’s
made me into a tougher, more aggressive player,” Hsu said.
Rule sees this determination on a daily basis from her star
player. Soon, one lucky college will get a chance as well. “I
think one of the things that defines her, or describes her, is
that she’s humble, she’s got a great attitude, she’s always
respectable, and she continues to work to get better,” said
Rule, who had Hsu in her Honors World History class as a
sophomore. “Academically, she’s very good. She is truly a
special person, both on and off the court. She’s got the total
package that coaches are looking for.” P
Colleges are knocking on Hsu’s door for more reasons than
one. Hsu went over the 1,000-point plateau this season in the
Eagles’ road defeat to Deerfield Beach on Dec. 13.
“It’s definitely a great accomplishment. Something a lot of
players look forward to,” said Hsu, who averaged 18.5 points
and 11 rebounds per game as a junior. “It shows how much
work you’ve put in and how much the hard work has paid off.
I do pride myself in scoring but I’m more about the team. I love
scoring, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t score just to score.
I like to see the different ways that I can help my team put
points on the board, not just focusing on the number of shots
I make.”
“What I’ve learned is the game is not so much about scoring
Abbey Hsu, Hal Farkas (team statistician), and Maddy Wilford.
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MAY 2018