Freja Christensen has been walking around ISU Arena with an even bigger smile on her face these days.
Known for her bubbly and outgoing personality, the sophomore guard has seen limited action in her career in the States. But it didn't stop her native Denmark from noticing.
The Copenhagen, Denmark, native received an invitation earlier this month that many players only dream of. She'll be one of 35 players from her native country vying for a spot on the Denmark Women's National team that will represent their country in EuroBasket 2019, a bi-annual competition of European nations to qualify for the FIBA World Cup.
Christensen knows it will be hard work.
She's amongst other Danish players who play collegiately in the United States and some who are playing pro ball in Europe already.
But she's up to the challenge.
The sophomore guard hasn't seen much action in her brief career with Indiana State Women's Basketball. Her experience is limited to just nine career appearances and four points scored. But she's paying her dues and getting better. Something she's talked about with ISU head coach Joey Wells.
“She's made strides in the two years that she's been here with a quicker release on her shot and now she's getting more comfortable in terms of knowing where to be,” Wells said. “Now it's just a matter of being able to go make plays.”
A self-proclaimed shooting guard, Christensen knows she needs to work on her defense – a staple of any Joey Wells team – and her overall court awareness.
“I need to set bigger and better screens because that will make me more open and defensively I know the positions but I need to be more aware,” the sophomore guard said. “I'm still getting used to this playing style. I need to be more aware about going to make a play on defense instead of going to help to stop the ball.”
Wells credits Christensen with sticking to her goals. In a time in college basketball where the transfer rate is arguably the highest it's ever been, Wells commended the sophomore for sticking to her goal.
“She has the mindset of 'my goal is good enough to play here and contribute to this team',” Wells said. “And if it takes her to her senior year, that's what she'll do and I admire her for that.”
Despite the limited playing time, the national team notices players who go overseas. Christensen said she's been able to develop better as a player in America.
Fray, as she's known to her teammates, will miss most of the Sycamores' June workout period but it doesn't mean she'll get off easy. She'll be participating in practices, some two-a-days, scrimmages and meetings five days a week with the Danish National Team beginning June 13th and finishing up on July 4th when she finds out if she made the 12-person cut.
“My goal is to get more playing time here at Indiana State, and taking this invitation will help me get more playing experience against high-level competition,” Christensen said. “For me, I need minutes on the court, and that's what I'll get out of those practices and scrimmages.”
Despite not seeing many minutes on the court, Christensen has made the most of her time in Terre Haute. She spent last year as a student worker for the ISU production of The Valley on ESPN3, gaining real world experience working on live sports broadcasts.
It's led her to want to pursue a career in live production when her playing days eventually come to an end.
But for now, Christensen will work on getting better on the court.
“Regardless of whether I make it (the Danish National Team) or not, this experience will help me be a better player here at Indiana State and that's what I'm focused on.”
