TCT All-Area girls basketball: Verona's Schaefer named Player of the Year
VERONA -- Standing tall in Wildcat Country, Leslie Schaefer has blossomed into one of the state's rising basketball stars.
The 6-foot-4 junior post player helped make history for Verona this winter, leading the Wildcats to their first-ever trip to the WIAA state tournament.
But last summer, Schaefer wouldn't have thought that was possible.
When her aunt, Joan McGregor, lost a battle with leukemia, suddenly Schaefer's world had changed.
"I've always loved playing basketball. But last summer, when she passed away, my passion for the game left," said Schaefer, who spent most of her summer playing AAU basketball with the Pride and also training in John Waring's Pacesetter program.
"I played in a few tournaments. But I really didn't want to play. It was so weird because I've loved basketball so much."
However, a break in Schaefer's schedule allowed her time to grieve and discover just how much she did love playing the game.
That proved to be the springboard that led Schaefer to not only a successful junior season but also her being named the 2008 Capital Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Schaefer, though, credited her teammates for making it a memorable season on and off the court.
"I knew we had the ability to make it to state. But it was whether we believed in each other as a team," said Schaefer, who averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and led the Wildcats to a 19-7 overall record and a berth in the WIAA Division 1 state semifinals.
"We had to work together and not let the mental aspect get to us. We believed we could make it and we did."
Schaefer said the much-needed break after her AAU season ended last summer coincided with a break in her conditioning program with Waring.
That eventually helped rekindle her love for the game.
"It was a real hard time for me. But when my training started again with John (Waring) in the fall, I developed a new love for basketball," Schaefer said. "Being with the girls and working out got my passion back. Last fall and winter, it was great."
Schaefer spent time last fall working out on a court that was built in her backyard two years ago, after her freshman basketball season.
"It was a gift from my aunt, who always wanted to give me a court," Schaefer said of McGregor. "She offered it to me when I was in seventh grade. But it wasn't until her leukemia worsened that I took her up on her offer."
The surface doubles as a volleyball court -- where Schaefer often hits balls back and forth with her twin sister, Leanne, who plays volleyball for Verona.
The court also serves as a daily reminder of McGregor and provides inspiration when Schaefer needs it the most.
"I dedicated the court to her. Whenever I play, I think of her, even on this court (at school)," Schaefer said. "She is my inspiration."
Verona coach Angie Murphy said Schaefer's unselfish play and her drive to improve was an inspiration to her teammates all season, too.
"Leslie is an excellent post passer," Murphy said. "That kind of gets overlooked, how well she passes out of the post. She's a team player.
"She could score 20 points a game. But she recognizes that when she is double-teamed and triple-teamed where to get the ball to. She trusts her teammates to get the job done."
Yet when Verona needed to take advantage of Schaefer's scoring ability, she wasn't shy about calling for the ball, either.
That was evident when Schaefer finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds and tied a Division 1 tournament record with seven blocked shots in a 53-50 victory over De Pere in a Division 1 state quarterfinal game.
"She is a physically strong player who has vastly improved footwork and overall moves in the post," said Madison Edgewood coach Lora Staveness, whose Crusaders split their Badger South Conference season series with Verona this year. "Thank God, the Big Eight Conference will get to contend with her next year."
Waring believes Schaefer is poised for a breakout senior year.
"She needs to improve her rebounding skills. She needs to pretend the ball is a steak and go get it," Waring said. "But Leslie will be among the most heavily recruited players in the state. She has a tremendous upside."
dsemrau@madison.com
Michelle Stocker/The Capital Times
Verona's Leslie Schaefer is TCT's All Area Player of the Year.
