By Dick Baker, The Republican


Stacy Boisvert, of Agawam, who scored 1,376 career points for American International College, is playing professional women’s basketball in Portugal.

Boisvert is playing in the city of Barreiro, a 15-minute ferry ride south of Lisbon, for a team called G.D. ESSA in the top league in Portugal – Liga Feminina.

“We play teams all over the country, and are in the midst of a preseason tournament called the Victor Hugo Cup, in which we’ve won our first two games and are in the final four,” Boisvert said.

The next game for G.D. ESSA is Saturday.

Boisvert landed a spot on the Portugal team after signing on with an agent, who tried to find a match with a team that needed a player with the criteria of which she fit.

“After I got the offer from my new coach – Nuno Mania – I signed a contract and trained until I left. I worked out with the AIC team during their preseason playing pickup, and doing their sprint workouts. That helped a lot.”

Boisvert said she was excited and nervous before the first game.

“Now that I’m over here, I’m trying to fit into the style they play over here because it’s a little different – not to mention that the plays were a little hard to get down because everyone was speaking in Portuguese.”

Boisvert averaged 16.2 points last season in her senior year as the Yellow Jackets went 21-13, and was named to the Daktronics first-team, all-region squad. She was also a first-team All-Northeast-10 selection, and was named the conference player of the week three times in addition to making it to the NE-10 weekly honor roll seven times. She ranks 10th on the all-time AIC career scoring list, and ninth in rebounds with 726.

“I’m very happy with where I’m at right now, and excited to get the regular season under way,” she said.