2025 Wharton graduate and former Penn women’s basketball forward Stina Almqvist is leaving Philadelphia behind and continuing her basketball legacy in Osnabrück, Germany, with the GiroLive Panthers Osnabrück.
The Panthers play their home games in Schlosswallhalle, Germany, and are a part of the Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga, the premier league and the highest level of basketball in Germany. They are one of 14 teams in the league, which was founded in 1947. Almqvist is excited to be part of the rich history the Panthers have to offer.
“I want to be at a place where they really care about basketball, and [the Panthers] … have [players] that played there 10 years ago. The coach is still there, and some of the players are still there,” Almqvist said. “People deciding to come back to the club after every year is a good sign that it is a good club.”
This comes as no shock to those aware of Almqvist’s talents.
Almqvist won a plethora of awards and played in over 20 games each season throughout her four years with the Quakers, notably starting in all 28 in her senior season. Almqvist was named team captain as well as first-team All-Ivy last season. She made program history as she became one of 26 players to surpass the 1,000-point mark. She would end her career with the Red and Blue with 1,110 points scored and 500 rebounds.
But basketball will always be a part of Almqvist’s life, with playing in the league being a natural next step in her stellar career.
“Coming from a basketball family, [it] was the right choice to try to keep playing. I knew I wanted to be somewhere in Europe and take the next step,” Almqvist said. “The German league is trending up right now, so I’m just excited to be a part of that process.”
Though originally from Kinna, Sweden, Almqvist knew she wanted to continue her basketball career elsewhere. Almqvist played in the Swedish professional league for two years before her time with the Red and Blue, and looks forward to the adventure that comes from playing far from home.
“For my own personal development … [I think] Germany is pretty much the very next step,” Almqvist said. “Eventually I’ll probably end up back in Sweden, but I think for now, I think it’s a good adventure to try something else.”
