There will be no going easy for Aislinn Konig after her freshman university season.
Home from her first year with the NCAA Division 1 North Carolina State Wolfpack women’s basketball team, the standout guard has her sights set on spending her summer with the Canadian junior national team.
Last summer, Konig helped Canada win silver at the U18 FIBA Americas championships and she will head to Canada Basketball’s selection camp in July.
She had been invited to attend the women’s national program assessment camp, which began Friday (May 12) and runs until May 22 in Edmonton.
Thirty-three players were invited as Canada Basketball begins the process of crafting the roster which will attempt to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. Canada has qualified for the past two Olympic Games.
“Getting invited is always an honour,” she said.
“It is an opportunity to represent and compete for my country at the highest level.”
Konig declined the invitation to attend as this is the only time this summer she will be able to see her family back in Langley.
Instead, she will head to camp in July and attempt to make the Canadian roster for the FIBA U19 women’s basketball World Cup, which runs July 22 to 30 in Italy.
Konig, who turns 19 on Saturday (May 20), returned to Langley after her freshman season with North Carolina State.
The five-foot-nine guard battled injuries, but managed to play in 19 of her team’s 32 games, averaging 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.6 steals in 17.1 minutes per game.
She called year one an ‘eye-opening’ experience.
“The speed and intensity of the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is a huge step up,” Konig said.
“Unfortunately, I suffered an injury which forced me to sit out for two months (but that) showed me the importance of managing workouts and the value of the relationship you form with the support system around you.
“My team and the staff made that time easier with their support, which I am very grateful for.”
Prior to joining North Carolina State, Konig was a standout at the high school level with the Brookswood Bobcats, helping them win three consecutive B.C. senior girls AAA provincial championships.
Konig was named most valuable player each time.
