Emily Engstler

Emily Ann Engstler (born May 1, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for Syracuse during her first three years at the college level, then for Louisville, earning first-team All-ACC honors in her only season with the team. Engstler graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, New York, where she was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and named a McDonald's All-American. Early life and high school career Engstler was born on May 1, 2000, in Queens, New York, to Marilyn and William Engstler, and moved to Roosevelt Island by the age of eight. She first picked up a basketball as a three-year-old and grew up playing for boys' Catholic Youth Organization teams at Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy. Engstler also played pick-up games on outdoor courts across the street from her home. She modeled her game after Elena Delle Donne and Kevin Durant. In her freshman season, Engstler played for Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, where her mother had played basketball. After one year, she transferred to St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, seeking a better academic fit, and sat out for her sophomore year due to Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) transfer rules. As a junior, Engstler averaged 19 points, 15.7 rebounds, 5.9 blocks and 3.4 steals per game. She recorded the first quadruple-double in school history, with 27 points, 29 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 blocks, against Nazareth Regional High School. Engstler was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) Class AA all-state sixth team. In her senior season, she averaged 18.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game, receiving New York Gatorade Player of the Year and NYSSWA Class AA all-state first team accolades. She helped her team achieve a 19–9 record and reach the Brooklyn/Queens CHSAA title game. Engstler was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. Recruiting Engstler was considered a five-star recruit and the ninth-best player in the 2018 class by ESPN. On October 19, 2017, she committed to play college basketball for Syracuse over offers from Ohio State and Miami (Florida). Engstler was drawn to the school because of its proximity to her home and its reputed program in broadcast journalism, her intended major.