Connecticut Basketball Player Continuing To Make Her Mark On Irish Basketball

Connecticut basketball player Alyssa Velles is continuing to make her mark on Irish basketball as she prepares for another season with the Portlaoise Panthers.

Alyssa’s journey in the sport began at the age of 10. What started as a childhood interest soon developed into a passion, with years of training, competition and academic study shaping her path both on and off the court.

“The second I picked up a basketball, I just really enjoyed it and I wanted to keep playing.”

Basketball quickly became much more than a hobby. Alyssa’s dedication and hard work saw her catch the attention of scouts, eventually opening the door to a college basketball scholarship in the United States. Alyssa went on to attend Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey. Located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, Saint Peter’s offered Alyssa the opportunity to compete at a high level while studying Business Management and experiencing life in a major American city. After building her life around basketball in the US, Alyssa took the opportunity to make a new start in Ireland, joining the Portlaoise Panthers. Now preparing for her fifth season with the club, Alyssa has become firmly established within the Panthers community. She says she “absolutely loves it” and has developed friendships and connections that she believes will last a lifetime. While men’s basketball continues to receive greater levels of attention and support overall, Alyssa believes the women’s game is making significant strides, particularly on the international stage, with an increasingly passionate fanbase following the sport. For Alyssa, that growth also brings a sense of responsibility. She sees herself as a pioneer for women in sport and hopes to see female athletes continue to receive greater recognition, opportunities and support — not only in basketball, but across sport as a whole. Her life in Ireland has also developed beyond basketball. Having settled in Portlaoise, Alyssa has launched her own training business and put down strong roots in the local community.

“My college was once across the river from Manhattan, New York, so I did enjoy city life, but Portlaoise offers a community that I love.”

For now, however, Alyssa’s focus has returned firmly to the basketball court. With a new season on the horizon, she is eager to get back into action and help the Portlaoise Panthers push for a successful campaign, discussed in full on Shine A Light.

Shine a Light is Funded by the News reporting Scheme