Abbey Hsu's Edge
The Becky Hammon finalist overcame tremendous obstacles to achieve success
Welcome to the second installment of our series spotlighting each of the five finalists for the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. Each day this week, we will publish a spotlight on one finalist for this year’s award, introducing you to each of these spectacular players.
Yesterday - McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
Today - Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Tomorrow - Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Thursday - Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Friday - Rachael Rose, Wofford
Only a senior in college, Abbey Hsu has already led a truly inspirational life of hard work, dedication, and resilience. But her past is only part of the full story. The chapter she’s currently working on is rewriting the record books for women’s basketball in the Ivy League, and the remainder is overflowing with potential, just waiting to be written.
Early adversity
Living with both her parents in a Miami suburb, Hsu’s upbringing was relatively normal. As the youngest of seven, she developed a competitive, determined, and independent spirit, constantly trying to keep up with her older siblings but never wanting to rely on others for help. Playing basketball not only offered a little more one-on-one time with her mom as they drove around Florida to AAU tournaments, but it also provided a lot of enjoyment and served as a great outlet for her energy, commitment, and ambition.
By 10th grade, her hard work started to earn the attention of college coaches, including Columbia head coach Megan Griffith. Everything seemed to be falling into place until February of Hsu’s junior year when she tore her ACL. And then, cruelly, just one week later her high school was the site of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
Thankfully, Hsu was not physically harmed. However, after the tragedy that happened at her school, a demanding knee rehab process, and her goal of still competing at the next level, she decided to transfer to St. Thomas Aquinas — a school recognized for its top-notch athletic programs.
Knowing that she’d be surrounded by more elite basketball talent when she returned to the sport her senior year provided Hsu with even greater motivation to recover from her injury, get back into game-playing shape, and continue to push herself to improve.
“Just being the eager person that I am, it was a lot of behind the scenes: going to the gym before school and after school and doing things that were not necessarily part of my rehab, but extra things that would keep me strong and keep my endurance up,” Hsu said.
Through all of this, the staff at Columbia stayed by Hsu’s side, continuously encouraging her. Their belief in her abilities and support for her development only increased once she got on campus. Her coaches and teammates were constantly instilling confidence in her while helping her hone her skills and expand her basketball IQ. As a result, Hsu started in every game her freshman year, averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, and helped her team to a 17-10 record — the program’s best in 10 years.
Additional heartache
Although the Lions had high hopes to finish their season strong, the pandemic unexpectedly cut that experience short. Like so many others, Hsu had to leave campus and go back home. But unlike the others, Hsu would face another tremendous setback. A couple of weeks after she returned to Florida, she suffered the devastating loss of her father, who was one of the first physicians in the state to die from the COVID-19 virus.
Because of the challenges confronting her family, the prospect of online-only school, and the Ivy League canceling its 2020-21 athletic season, Hsu decided to take a year off from college. She got a job, traveled, and used the time to emotionally heal. But always knowing she would return to play basketball at Columbia, she never stopped working on her game. Even with the support of a few of her teammates who chose a similar route to retain a year of Ivy League eligibility, maintaining her basketball skills and staying in game-playing shape wasn’t easy.
“We really did have to figure it out on our own because we weren't allowed to use any of the facilities at school, and a lot of the gyms around our areas were closed down,” Hsu said. “So it was a lot of going to outdoor parks and doing your own drills by yourself because you can't really be in contact with anybody.”
Overcoming it all
During her year off, Hsu fell in love with weightlifting, became more mentally tough, and regained her confidence. By the time she rejoined the Lions for the 2021-22 season, she was not only physically and mentally stronger, but the value she placed on simply being able to play the game had grown. She also had an increased respect for her teammates, who she knew went through a similar challenge of trying to stay on top of their sport without a lot of resources.
Leveraging her enhanced work ethic, strength, and connection with her teammates, Hsu spent countless hours in the gym over the next couple of years and improved in almost every aspect of her game. This past summer, she also earned the opportunity to play with USA Basketball. The experience taught her to make quicker decisions, play with more physicality, and find additional ways to contribute, which took her game to an even higher level. The result is that her current and final season with the Columbia Lions has been one of her best yet.
Recently named the 2023-24 Ivy League Player of the Year and AP All-American Honorable Mention, Hsu has always been known for her shooting ability. This season, she broke the Ivy League record for career 3-pointers as well as Columbia’s single-season scoring record, and her 2,126 career points rank among the top three in Ivy League history.
However, the improvement in all the other aspects of her game is what really helped the Lions reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s Division I history. Since her freshman season, Hsu increased her player efficiency rating (20.8 to 28.8) and rebounding (5.1 to 7.3 per game) while decreasing her turnover rate (16.1% to 11.1%). This season, she led the Ivy League in scoring (20.4 points per game) and win shares (4.8). When head coach Megan Griffith was asked about Hsu's impact on the team’s success this season, she had nothing but praise.
“It is no coincidence that our growth as a program has coincided with Abbey's personal growth as a player and leader,” Griffith said. “She has embraced being a two-way player and a legitimate rebounder. This season, she has become a vocal leader who demands, defends our standard, and backs it up with her pristine work ethic. You know exactly what you're going to get from Abbey every day — she shows up the same way, every day. Her consistency is remarkable.”
One of Griffith’s favorite games of Hsu’s this season was during senior night, when the Lions were playing against conference rival Princeton in front of a sold-out crowd.
“[Hsu] just let the game come to her,” Griffith said. “She played completely at her own speed, made simple reads, and took what the defense gave her. It was so fun to watch her in her zone. Also, she built this fanbase with her teammates, so it was extremely special to see her thrive in that atmosphere."
Hsu’s remarkable personal journey and incredible basketball accomplishments will undoubtedly leave a permanent imprint on Columbia’s women’s basketball program. And with her athleticism, skill set, and high-level understanding of the game, fans will be eagerly waiting to see how she continues her playing career. Throughout her time in college, Hsu has exemplified everything that Columbia’s E.D.G.E. stands for — Energy, Discipline, Grit, and Excellence. Each of these characteristics will continue to serve her well as she pursues all her future endeavors, both within the game of basketball and beyond.
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I have been an Abbey Hsu fan for a couple of years, watched a few games on TV and attended the Senior Day game between Columbia & Princeton. She's a pure and gifted scorer but ..... he teammates virtually ignore and she has to create her own offensive situation. And Abbey lacks the fire to demand the ball. It was evident in the NCAA loss to Vanderbilt that even though her shot didn't fall, she is still the player the offense should have run through. Though disappointed, Abbey didn't complain with the loss.