Schreacke has dove head first into MU and is making her mark at Mizzou Arena
According to Swedish writer Henning Mankell, “You can have more than one home. You can carry your roots with you, and decide where they grow.”
Freshman guard Abbey Schreacke’s roots have firmly planted themselves in Columbia with the Missouri women’s basketball team, as her relationship with the team continues to sprout.
Schreacke grew up two hours away from Columbia right across from the Missouri border in Quincy, Illinois. She was born into a family of athletes; her mother, Linda, was a two-sport athlete at Monmouth University.
Schreacke had a diverse athletic background, playing basketball, volleyball and softball at Quincy Notre Dame High School. In addition to her work as an athlete, Schreacke was a member of the National Honors Society.
For Schreacke, she never felt that she was involved in too much. Instead, she questioned if she could do more.
“My personality is always wanting to be busy with something, I can’t just sit around,” Schreacke said. “Time management is a good skill that I’ve built over time and it helped me with all of it.”
While Schreacke practiced many sports, her primary focus remained basketball. She was an All-State selection in three consecutive seasons and was the recipient of the 2023 Illinois High School Association Player of the Year. She led Quincy Notre Dame to the 2A State Championship in 2022 and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
When it came to college commitment, Schreacke found an immediate connection with MU.
“When I met the team on a visit, they were just the perfect people for me to be around,” Schreacke said. “The culture that they have here was similar to my high school, and I wanted to bring that with me here. Also, it’s just close to home. Competing in the SEC, it just checked all my boxes.”
The freshman immediately connected with the other members of the roster, as the team continues to build a family environment.
“I was always feeling welcomed with the girls and they just made me feel at home,” Schreacke said.
Schreacke has also filled a desperately needed hole in the roster left by a preseason injury to sophomore point guard Averi Kroenke. While the freshman typically plays the shooting guard position, Schreacke was able to step up and fill the spot.
She has learned plenty from the starting point guard Mama Dembele. The senior guard is known for her speed and pace, which is something that Schreacke is hoping to improve upon.
“I just know Mama has a ton of speed, and that’s not really my strength like hers,” Schreacke said.
Head coach Robin Pingeton spoke to the importance for Schreacke to use her own strengths instead of just emulating her teammates.
“I’m really confident in [Schreacke] … she is a student of the game,” Pingeton said. “She’s not going to be Mama, but we don’t need her to be Mama, we need her to be Abbey.”
Schreacke has stepped into the role with ease, averaging 7.6 points so far with 52% shooting on three-pointers.
However, one area she’s had to battle through has been physicality. While averaging 3.4 rebounds as a guard is impressive, Schreacke is still adjusting to the flow of collegiate basketball.
“It’s definitely bigger and better than high school,” Schreacke said.
Moving forward, Schreacke hopes to rise to the occasion as the Tigers search for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019. While playing in a backup position, the freshman guard is an integral part of the rotation and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“My coaches have prepared me to play this role, and all my teammates are making it easy for me,” Schreacke said.
Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themenater.com