Alison Schwagmeyer

Alison Schwagmeyer
Schwagmeyer with the Lynx in October 2017
No. 32 – Lakeside Lightning
Position Shooting guard / Small forward
League State Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1990-07-31) July 31, 1990
Nationality American
Listed height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Career information
High school Central (Camp Point, Illinois)
College
WNBA draft 2012 / Undrafted
Playing career 2012–present
Career history
2012–2014 GiroLive Panthers
2014 Kalamunda Eastern Suns
2014 CSBT Alexandria
2014 Cadí La Seu D'urgell
2016–present Lakeside Lightning
2017–present Perth Lynx
Career highlights and awards

Alison Schwagmeyer (born July 31, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Lakeside Lightning of the State Basketball League (SBL). Schwagmeyer scored more than 1,950 points in her career at Camp Point's Central High School and was a two-time all-state selection. After two years at Charleston Southern, she transferred to Quincy University where she was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference's Player of the Year in 2011. She has since played professionally in Germany, Spain and Australia, winning back-to-back WSBL Most Valuable Player honors in 2016 and 2017 playing for the Lightning.

High school career

Schwagmeyer attended Central High School in Camp Point, Illinois. She earned four varsity letters in basketball and holds school career records for points (1,950) and steals (500).[1] She was a two-time all-state selection for basketball[2] and was the Herald-Whig Player of the Year in volleyball in 2007.[3]

College career

As a freshman at Charleston Southern in 2008–09, Schwagmeyer averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and earned Big South All-Freshman Team honors. She went on to average 6.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[1]

In 2010, Schwagmeyer transferred to Quincy University, where as a junior in 2010–11, she was named GLVC Player of the Year. She also earned GLVC First Team All-Conference honors and was named Daktronics First Team All-Region. In 28 games, she made 27 starts and averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.[1]

In 27 games for Quincy as a senior in 2011–12, Schwagmeyer made 26 starts and averaged 18.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game.[1] She subsequently earned first-team All-GLVC honors for the second year in a row.[3]

Professional career

Germany (2012–2014)

In July 2012, Schwagmeyer signed with the GiroLive Panthers in Osnabrück, Germany, a team playing in the Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga.[3] In 30 games in 2012–13, she averaged 14.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Following the 2012–13 season, Schwagmeyer returned to the United States and played in a semi-pro league in St. Louis. In the last game, she tore some ligaments in her ankle. She had signed to play in Romania, but that didn't work out. As a result, the GiroLive Panthers heard she was injured and didn't go to Romania, so they called and offered her to come back for a second season.[2] In November 2013, the two parties agreed that Schwagmeyer would re-join the Panthers in January 2014.[4] In 11 games to round out the 2013–14 season, she averaged 15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Kalamunda Eastern Suns (2014)

In April 2014, Schwagmeyer moved to Australia to play for the Kalamunda Eastern Suns of the State Basketball League.[5][6] She made her debut for the Suns in Round 7 of the 2014 season on April 25, recording 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals in an 80–52 win over the Willetton Tigers.[7] In her second game a day later, she had 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 76–75 loss to the Mandurah Magic.[8] Following Round 15, she was named Player of the Week for her back-to-back 20-point games.[9] Schwagmeyer averaged 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game for the Suns in 2014,[10] earning All-Star Five honors.[11]

Career in limbo

Following the 2014 SBL season, Schwagmeyer moved to Romania to play for CSBT Alexandria, the same team she was supposed to play for in 2013. She played just one game for Alexandria, scoring 30 points in 20 minutes, before accepting an offer from a first division team in Spain.[2] She joined Cadí La Seu D'urgell, but she left the team in December after tragedy struck. During the team's Christmas break, she travelled to Germany to spend time with her boyfriend, fellow basketball player Courtney Belger. Upon arriving in Germany, she learned her sister, Angie, had been killed in a car crash in St. Louis.[2] She immediately returned home to be with her family and subsequently put her basketball career on hold.[2] At the time, she wasn't sure if she was going to play again, and over the ensuing year, she served as an assistant coach for the Hannibal–LaGrange University women's basketball team while also working at the Quincy YMCA.[2]

In November 2015, Schwagmeyer's coach at the Kalamunda Eastern Suns in 2014, Craig Mansfield, contacted her after he was appointed coach at the Lakeside Lightning. He asked her to join him at Lakeside, and after taking some time to think about it, she decided she wanted to try to start her career again.[2]

Lakeside Lightning (2016–present)

On March 1, 2016, Schwagmeyer left the U.S. to return to Perth, Western Australia, to once again play in the State Basketball League (SBL), this time for the Lakeside Lightning.[2] Her first year with Lakeside was marred after playing through injury most of the season.[12] Despite this, she still produced standout performances,[13] and with 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game in 23 contests,[14] she was named the WSBL's Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season.[12]

Schwagmeyer returned to the Lightning in 2017 as co-captain,[15] with coach Craig Mansfield seeing room for great improvement for her.[12] In 2017, she helped the Lightning improve from 11–11 to 17–5; played for the South All-Stars in the WSBL All-Star Game; won five Player of the Week awards;[16] and won her second straight WSBL MVP award to go with All-Star Five and All-Defensive Five honors.[17] In 27 games, she averaged 21.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.[14]

Schwagmeyer returned to the Lightning in 2018 for a third season.[18] On April 16, she was named Player of the Week for Round 5.[19] On May 22, she was named Player of the Week for Round 10.[20]

Perth Lynx (2017–present)

Schwagmeyer signing autographs in October 2017

Following the 2017 SBL season, Schwagmeyer joined the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) as a training player for the 2017–18 season, having spent time training with the team throughout the 2016–17 season also. Perth had now become her second home, and thus applied to become a permanent resident in Australia.[21] The Lynx promised her a position on the squad upon the approval of the application, but such applications take time.[21] Her chance at playing in the top-tier league in Australia came in late October when import guard Courtney Williams was sidelined for three games with a shoulder injury.[22] The Lynx applied for Schwagmeyer to replace Williams as short term injury cover, but the relevant visa paperwork took a week to be processed, and it wasn't until the final shoot-around prior to their home game on October 27 that the team received the clearance.[21] She stepped straight into the starting five and had a big impact with her defensive energy against the Dandenong Rangers.[23] She finished with 10 points in the 88–78 win,[24] including seven consecutive points from late in the third quarter to early in the final period.[25] Coach Andy Stewart was desperate to add Schwagmeyer to the main squad, but delays in her permanent residency application meant the American had to watch from the sidelines for the remainder of the season.[26] The Lynx went on to finish as minor premiers with a 15–6 record, before losing to the Melbourne Boomers in the semi-finals. At the Lynx Awards Night, Schwagmeyer was named the recipient of the Coaches' Award.[27]

Having received her residency in February 2018, Schwagmeyer signed a full-time contract with the Lynx as an unrestricted player on June 14, 2018.[28][29]

Personal

Schwagmeyer is the daughter of Mike and Sherry Schwagmeyer. She has one brother, Corey, and three sisters, Lori, Kim and Angie (deceased).[1]

Schwagmeyer's boyfriend is fellow basketball player Courtney Belger.[2] He too has played in Germany and in the State Basketball League.[30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ali Schwagmeyer - 2011-12 Women's Basketball". quhawks.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Adam, David (February 27, 2016). "Sunday Conversation with Ali Schwagmeyer". whig.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Schuckman, Matt (July 5, 2012). "Schwagmeyer signs pro contract with German club". whig.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  4. ↑ "GiroLive-Panthers holen Alison Schwagmeyer zurück". noz.de (in German). November 25, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Kalamunda Eastern Suns add Schwagmeyer to their roster, ex Osnabruck". australiabasket.com. April 18, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Kalamunda add Schwag to lineup". SportsTG.com. April 29, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  7. ↑ Pike, Chris (April 26, 2014). "Tigers' men keep winning, women losing (Week 7 ANZAC Day SBL wrap)". SportsTG.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  8. ↑ Pike, Chris (April 27, 2014). "Women's thrillers, men's road teams all win (Week 7 Saturday night SBL wrap)". SportsTG.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Kickz101 Perth SBL Players of the Week". SportsTG.com. June 27, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ "SBL season preview – Kalamunda Eastern Suns". SportsTG.com. March 12, 2015. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ "2014 BASKETBALL WA AWARD WINNERS". BasketballWA.asn.au. September 9, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 "Mansfield backs smaller Lightning to have big impact". SportsTG.com. March 1, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  13. ↑ "2017 Women's SBL season preview". SportsTG.com. March 17, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Player statistics for Ali Schwagmeyer". SportsTG.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018.
  15. ↑ "WSBL Squad 2017". Lakeside.asn.au. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  16. ↑ "PLAYERS OF THE WEEK". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017.
  17. ↑ "2017 SBL AWARD WINNERS". SBL.asn.au. September 9, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  18. ↑ "2018 WOMEN'S SBL SEASON PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  19. ↑ "WSBL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – ALI SCHWAGMEYER (LAKESIDE LIGHTNING)". SBL.asn.au. April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  20. ↑ "WSBL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ALI SCHWAGMEYER". SBL.asn.au. May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 O'Donoghue, Craig (October 29, 2017). "Long wait over for Alison Schwagmeyer's Perth Lynx debut". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  22. ↑ O'Donoghue, Craig (October 27, 2017). "Lynx race to sign Schwagmeyer". The West Australian. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  23. ↑ "LYNX SET TONE EARLY, PULL AWAY FROM RANGERS". PerthLynx.com. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Lynx vs Rangers". FIBALiveStats.com. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  25. ↑ O'Donoghue, Craig (October 30, 2017). "American debutant to earn Lynx contract". The West Australian. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  26. ↑ O'Donoghue, Craig (January 18, 2018). "Courtney Williams named Perth Lynx's most valuable in debut WNBL season". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  27. ↑ Perth Lynx (January 17, 2018). "Coach Andy Stewart has presented Alison..." Twitter. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  28. ↑ "HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR ALISON SCHWAGMEYER". PerthLynx.com.au. June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  29. ↑ O'Donoghue, Craig (June 14, 2018). "Redemption drives returning Perth Lynx trio ahead of 2018-19 WNBL campaign". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  30. ↑ Adam, David (February 25, 2017). "Sunday Conversation with Courtney Belger". whig.com. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
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