When Iowa Hawkeye point guard Abby Emmert was growing up, she wasn't just a basketball fan. She was a basketball scout.

Abby's dad, Gary Emmert, was the high school varsity boys' basketball coach in their hometown of Winterset, Iowa. When he went to scout opposing teams, Abby kept the shot charts for him.

That early training, in which she helped her dad discover opponents' strengths and weaknesses, clearly served Abby well. She went on to become not only an all-conference and all-state player for Winterset High School, but also a University of Iowa point guard and team co-captain.

And it wasn't just basketball that's in her blood—it's also the Hawkeyes. “My whole family are big Hawkeye fans,” Abby says, “so I didn't really have much choice in where I was going to play college ball.”

She was recruited by other Big Ten universities, though, and one thing that helped seal the deal for Iowa was the generous scholarship the UI offered—assistance made possible by private contributors to UI athletics through the UI Foundation.

In the style that fans of Hawkeye basketball have become accustomed to, Abby's never looked back since. “I've made a lot of really good friends, gotten better as a player, and learned a lot as a person,” she says, adding that the academic support services she and her teammates have—such as the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center, built with private gifts—help keep her focused on her studies as well as on her game.

A major highlight as a Hawkeye for Abby has been the fans. “There are a lot of really great fans,” she says. “There are people who come to every single game. We get nice letters from people—it's like being part of a big family.”

Coach Lisa Bluder and her staff make sure that Abby and her fellow Hawkeyes never lose sight of the I-Club support that helps keep Iowa strong. “When we have a hard practice or a rough game, the coaches always remind us that our fans are there for us,” Abby says. “I'm so thankful for the amazing experiences people have helped me have here, and I know that no matter what, people are behind us all the way.”

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