Stephanie Kostowicz has performed basketball on each side of the Atlantic. Abroad, she has received a championship in Germany, saved a workforce from relegation in Hungary and been named the middle of the 12 months in Greece. As an undersized 5, the 6-foot-2 Kostowicz overpowers her rivals utilizing the core energy she developed as a monitor athlete. Her coronary heart, nevertheless, is in Wisconsin, the place she’s from and the place she returns each offseason.
As she’s about to embark on one other season in Europe and add Czechia to her resume, we have been in a position to speak to her about her profession up to now.
Let’s begin together with your heritage. Your surname sounds Polish.
My nice grandfather was from… [tries to pronounce Grudziądz but gives up] I’m going to butcher it anyway. It’s like an hour from [successfully pronounces Bydgoszcz]. Gosh, I knew that from once I performed there. There’s really a bit extra German in my blood than Polish, however yeah, clearly I’ve a little bit of Polish in me.
Rising up in in Wisconsin, how have been you launched to the sport of basketball? And what was the basketball tradition like in Wisconsin while you have been a child?
I began sort of late, once I was 12 or so. I’ve three older sisters and I wished to do every thing that they did, and so they performed basketball. So basketball was simply one of many issues—one of many many issues—that they did that I picked up from them. I continued at it to a better degree and I’m glad to nonetheless be enjoying. As for the tradition, the Midwest loves basketball. There’s plenty of alternatives, plenty of tournaments, plenty of groups you’ll be able to be a part of to additional develop your expertise. So it was good to develop up in that atmosphere and get the chance to get higher at basketball.
Are you the perfect at basketball in your loved ones?
I might say so, however I feel my sisters would say so too, despite the fact that they stopped enjoying after highschool.
I’m guessing that because you determined to review on the College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, you might be shut with your loved ones.
Yep, my sisters are all married with children now, however all of us stay inside quarter-hour of one another, so I’m nonetheless dwelling with my mother and father once I’m residence for the offseason and so they’re all inside driving distance, in order that’s good.
For 4 years, you have been the starter for the Panthers [at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee], the place you have been chosen to First-Workforce All-Horizon League as soon as and the Second-Workforce twice. Are you content together with your school basketball profession?
I’m pleased with it. Trying again, I feel I’ve a greater work ethic now than I did then, so I feel if I have been to repeat these years, possibly I might be a bit extra profitable individually and we’d be most likely extra profitable as a workforce. However I’m glad and pleased with myself. I did lots in school. I used to be really additionally on the monitor workforce.
That was speculated to be my subsequent query.
Yeah, so I imply for as a lot as I did in basketball and monitor, and nursing college, and I double majored in psychology. For the entire issues that I did, I’m very pleased with myself. I had an incredible profession, I developed as an individual and I’m right here now.
Was monitor and subject or basketball your old flame?
Basketball was first. I began monitor in highschool and I wasn’t planning on doing it in school. After which after I dedicated to Milwaukee for basketball, the monitor coach got here as much as me throughout my senior 12 months of highschool and requested if I might be keen to do each. I didn’t know that was an choice, however I used to be excited to have that chance. He simply got here into my math class and stated, “You’re gonna do that now.” And I used to be like,“OK.” After which it turned out I used to be fairly good at it.
Had been shot put and discus exercises useful in changing into a greater basketball participant?
Mm-hmm. Completely, particularly due to my place and my peak. I’m a little bit of an undersized ahead and I feel that work within the weight room has helped me get to the place I’m now.
What what would you contemplate a larger achievement? What you probably did on the court docket or the truth that you graduated and are a nurse?
I feel the most important achievement was that I used to be in a position to do each on the similar time. The truth that I’ve my profession arrange and prepared for me every time I determine to be performed with basketball, I feel that’s an unimaginable achievement that possibly not plenty of my friends have.
You don’t get to do a lot nursing now, do you?
This summer time and final summer time, I’ve not been in a position to work as a nurse as a result of I’ve been enjoying basketball in Mexico, however each different summer time in my offseason, I’ve been in a position to observe as a nurse.
And why did you determine to develop into a nurse?
We’ve got to return to the primary query on this one, one among my older sisters is definitely a nurse practitioner. So clearly I needed to do what she did.
OK, however after graduating you probably did one thing neither one among them had performed: You moved to Greece to develop into an expert basketball participant. How did that come about?
I didn’t actually have the dream of being an expert basketball participant… I might say… till my senior 12 months of school. Solely then I sort of determined that, “Hey, that is one thing I’m good at.” I had a coach, Coach Goldsberry. He planted the seed in my head constantly, saying issues like, “You could be in the perfect form of your life, you’ll be able to journey the world, you’ll be able to have all these alternatives.” And I’m like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” But it surely seems he knew what he was speaking about.
Had been you ever really overseas or in Europe previous to your transfer to Greece?
No, my going to Greece was the primary time I left America. I bear in mind my first 12 months, my first workforce, my room was a closet of this home. I had a roommate who was on my workforce and he or she received the bed room with a queen-sized mattress. There have been dressers. She had a balcony. My room was half the dimensions of hers. I had a small mattress, like one of many single ones that you just get at a few of these inns. I didn’t have a door. I didn’t have a dresser, in order that was was my first impression of the nation. However I liked Greece.
As a household particular person, have been you afraid of transferring out by yourself?
I really wasn’t alone. I introduced my cat with me to Greece my first 12 months. They’ve plenty of cats in Greece, which I loved, however I took my cat with me as effectively. He’s spoiled.
After two years in Greece and a brief keep in Hungary, the place you helped a workforce keep within the A1 League, you go to Olympiacos. That’s a basketball powerhouse in Europe.
My first 12 months, I used to be actually on the underside workforce in Greece after which simply to even be acknowledged, to be on the Olympiacos workforce, not to mention being a starter for them, that was an enormous deal for me personally. I used to be very proud to be on that workforce and to put on their colours. But it surely was simply an unimaginable expertise and I nonetheless carry that with delight in the present day to say that I performed for them.
Did you get to play within the derby in opposition to Panathinaikos? The “derby of the everlasting rivals” is without doubt one of the most intense video games in Europe, whatever the self-discipline.
Yeah. Completely. It was throughout COVID although, so it wasn’t open to the general public. However even with out the followers, it was extremely intense and after which when the followers have been in a position to be a part of us for playoffs… Simply plenty of depth. There’s a narrative I inform individuals. It’s humorous now, wanting again on it. However within the second it was… intense. That’s the phrase I might once more use to explain it. I used to be ready at a bus cease the day earlier than we performed Panathinaikos and I had my Olympiakos bag with me and this grown man comes as much as me and he kicks me within the shin! He begins calling me names, going loopy and folks needed to, like, separate us.
Was the perfect 12 months of your profession at Olympiakos? Or was it in Poland, Romania, Germany, Mexico or Italy?
I might say as a workforce, my greatest 12 months was most likely in Germany simply because we received the title, however individually I must say Italy final 12 months was my greatest season. I simply had some fairly massive stats in an excellent league and I, like I stated earlier, like having to show myself each league that I get into, to point out that I belong, simply taking steps every time. So I feel that was a extremely massive step for me individually.
Any regrets that you just didn’t get to play within the WNBA?
Yeah, it’s robust. Clearly, I’m a competitor. I wish to compete with the perfect. And so I belong with the perfect, however simply the way in which the sport is now, possibly if I graduated school now, possibly simply because ladies’s basketball has taken such an enormous step, possibly it could be totally different.
Thanks to Gherdan Sports activities for arranging the interview.
