The Story Beyond the Jersey: Getting to Know Abbey Hsu

Happy Friday! Today, we’ve got a tear-jerker for you.

But before we get sentimental, I have to tell you how I discovered this player.

As I mindlessly scrolled through TikTok, a video caught my attention. It featured a Columbia University student discussing how all of her friends, spanning every sexual orientation in the LGBTQ alphabet, were captivated by the same girl. This girl was (still is) a player on the Columbia women’s basketball team.

That’s it. That’s how I discovered the infamous, Abbey Hsu.

But beyond her magnetic appeal to everyone, and I mean everyone, her story is one that you want to know.

Let’s get into it! 👇️ 

TODAY’S STORY
💥THE STORY BEHIND THE JERSEY

MEET ABBEY HSU

Abbey Hsu is currently a senior guard on the women’s basketball team at Columbia University.

But before we get into today’s story, I want to share Abbey’s job history with you. If you looked at her job history, you would have thought she was a typical double-major in Business school.

It shouldn’t have caught me by surprise, but it did, therefore, I’m going to share it with you.

• Investment Bank

  • Worked at an investment bank where she helped increase the percentage of women applicants to summer internships and entry-level roles

• National Basketball Players Association

  • Assisted with corporate partnerships, press releases, and licensing agreements

• Founder

  • Launched her own basketball camp

BEYOND THE STATS

At 17, she survived the Parkland, Florida shooting.

At 20, she lost her father to COVID-19.

Now, at 22, Abbey’s making history at Columbia.

In February 2018, tragedy struck Abbey’s community when the Parkland school shooting unfolded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Despite being just weeks into recovery from an ACL injury, Abbey found herself at the epicenter of a national tragedy.

However, the ordeal was far from over for Abbey.

In March 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Abbey faced another devastating blow with the sudden passing of her father, Alex Hsu.

Alex passed away just two days after Abbey’s birthday on March 24th. He was a self-made man who spent his early life in Hong Kong before immigrating to the United States where he worked through medical school and eventually opened up his own practice.

What a baller

Amidst Abbey's grief, she leaned on her father's legacy of resilience and perseverance to navigate through the darkest chapters of her life, yet her dedication to basketball never wavered.

Imagine maneuvering through two life-altering situations, experiences that many will never face, all while pursuing a spot at one of the most prestigious institutions to play Division 1 basketball. And not just playing, but shouldering the weight of the team's success on your shoulders.

🥵 

If you didn’t dig underneath her accolades at Columbia, you would just think she was a typical Ivy League breakthrough: Leading the team to a conference title, setting the record for most 3s made, you name it, she did it.

But beneath her on-court achievements lay a deeply personal journey of triumph over tragedy, resilience, and the legacy of love and loss.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Abbey’s presence has completely transformed Columbia’s team.

Head Coach Megan Griffith will often receive a text from Abbey that says “Full days”. It’s a nod to Jim Valvano's famous ESPYs speech, where he talks about the essence of a fulfilling day: laughing, thinking, and crying.

In Griffith’s first three seasons at the helm, the Lions were 29-54.

Since Abbey came to campus, they have a 74-27 record while securing their first two NIT bids in history.

What’s Abbey doing next year?

Well, with an Economics degree that will land her a spot at CNBC, she's considering diverse paths, from launching her own gym in Texas to pursuing a career in professional basketball.

3 wildly unrelated, but strong options.

Abbey’s remaining goal at Columbia is to make it to the NCAA tournament. Right now they’re sitting in second place in the Ivy division. Let’s see if they can pull it off.

We’re Abbey Hsu fans now and you should be too!