In four years with BGSU women’s basketball, Amy Velasco put on one of the most memorable careers wearing Orange and Brown. She appeared in 132 games, made 97 starts and logged over 4,008 minutes for the Falcons.
“I loved my time here at Bowling Green. It was the best four years of my life, and I wouldn’t have asked for a better four years or a better place to play,” said Velasco.
To truly understand Velasco’s basketball journey, it is important to go back to the beginning.
“My godsister played Division I basketball for Dayton, and I just always wanted to be like her. She’s the main reason why I got into basketball,” Velasco said. “I started basketball in the wintertime, around second grade.”
Velasco earned numerous accolades and honors at Centerville High School, including All-Star awards and district team placements. As a sophomore and junior, she earned first team honors as well.
Adam Priefer, Velasco’s high school basketball coach, described her as a tremendous guard with a natural ability to get everyone involved on the floor.
Her success at Centerville carried over to the college level very quickly.
In her first collegiate game, Velasco recorded five assists and scored six points. Throughout the season, she recorded 88 assists in 32 games, which ranked second on the team.
She also averaged 10.8 points per game and was named to the All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman Team.
In that season, Bowling Green won 17 games and earned third place in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
“I would say there’s just a lot that goes into being an athlete and I think freshman year is a little bit of shell shock, just because it’s all different, it’s all new teammates and coaches,” Velasco said.
Her teammates also helped Velasco adjust to the shell shock of being away from home and playing college basketball.
“All of [my teammates] from my freshman year, Katie Hempfling was our captain and Madison Parker, really welcomed us and taught us kind of like what we’re supposed to do,” Velasco said. “They were great role models just right off the bat.”
During the following offseason, Velasco had to have surgery on her foot.
“I was back by the time the season started, but just going through that and then just having to come back, play hard and get back into the swing of things,” Velasco said.
Despite a slight decrease in minutes played to start the season, Velasco continued to do what she does best: be a great teammate. The guard tossed out 37 assists through non-conference play and received an uptick in minutes as the season progressed.
During the team’s Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) run, she was re-inserted into Robyn Fralick’s starting five. Throughout the tournament, she recorded season highs in points, assists and minutes.
“When we made a run to the Fab 4 in the WNIT, that was my favorite memory of college basketball,” Velasco said. “It was here at home, which was really cool, and all the seats were filled.”
The Centerville, Ohio, native finished that season averaging 6.4 points and 2.9 assists per game.
Two days after the end of the season, Michigan State University announced the hiring of Fralick away from Bowling Green, leaving a head coach vacancy.
“It was nerve-wracking at first because we didn’t know who our next coach would be,” Velasco said. “It was just kind of one of those things where you had to trust the process and know that what Derek [van der Merwe] was bringing in was going to be best for our program.”
Bowling Green’s Vice President for Athletics Strategy and Director of Athletics, van der Merwe shut down those nerves quickly and hired Fred Chmiel to fill that role eight days later.
Despite the coaching change, Velasco stayed with the team.
“It was very different; their coaching styles are two different ways of coaching,” Velasco said. “I chose to stay here because I love Bowling Green, and I believed in what coach Fred saw.”
“[Velasco was] my life preserver, truly,” Chmiel said. “When I was in the deep end, we could always count on Amy. When we got in trouble on the floor, we could count on Amy.”
Heading into her junior year, Velasco was back to being a full-time starter. In that season, she surpassed 1,000 minutes for the first time and more than doubled her point average.
To build on an already standout season, she sprinkled in a few unforgettable moments that made it all the more special.
On Nov. 27, 2023, Velasco drilled a game-winning floater as time expired to stun Duquesne at the Stroh Center.
“Man, the game-winner was probably [my favorite Velasco memory], just seeing the joy on her face and everybody else’s face and the fact that we were still kind of new to each other,” Chmiel said. “It was just a great moment.”
Months later, on March 9, 2024, in Ypsilanti, Mich., she became the 31st Falcon to reach 1,000 career points.
“It was really cool just because I love the university, the program and the community, so it was just really cool to give back to them a little bit,” Velasco said.
That season, Velasco totaled 146 assists, bringing her career total to 347 and propelling her into the top ten all-time assist leaders in BGSU history heading into her senior season.
Entering this past season, Velasco had one teammate that had been a part of the team since she was a freshman: Lexi Fleming.
“I went through all four years with Lexi, and she was just someone I could depend on and really anyone can depend on,” Velasco said.
Velasco started her senior campaign red hot, scoring double figures in all 11 of the team’s non-conference games while averaging 4.7 assists during that stretch.
“Come senior year, you’ve adapted because you’ve been here for four years and I was lucky enough to be here specifically for four years,” Velasco said.
In MAC play, Velasco kept jumping further up BGSU’s all-time leaderboards and completing milestones.
She surpassed 400 career assists at Kent State, surpassed her former teammate Hempfling in assists at Toledo and jumped into the top 10 all-time scoring list at home against Toledo.
On March 5, 2025, Velasco eclipsed 1,500 points and joined Kate Achter as one of two players to score that many points and record 400 assists in a career.
“I wouldn’t be the player I am without [my teammates]. Part of being a point guard is getting assists and the coolest part about an assist is it’s not a thing without your teammates,” said Velasco.
Velasco’s final game wearing Orange and Brown came on March 12, 2025, against Buffalo in the first round of the MAC Tournament. In that contest, Velasco scored 10 points, which was enough to pass Liz Honegger and become the 7th all-time leading scorer.
For the first time in her career, she earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team. She also won four awards at The Ziggy’s, including being named Female Athlete of the Year.
Velasco finished her basketball career with 1,531 points, 498 assists and an 83.7 free-throw percentage, all of which lay in the top 10.
She also sharpened her leadership skills, a skill that is needed in her desired profession of teaching.
“I think [basketball experience] definitely helps with teaching. It’s not just having a voice in the basketball world, it’s a lot of holding people accountable and being their shoulder to cry on when they need it,” said Velasco. “I think just being in that position allowed me to grow as a leader and I think that’s something I can definitely take with me as I become a teacher.”
Throughout Velasco’s career, the BGSU community and her family played a big role. With each game being a shared experience, their presence was a reminder of the strong support system that fueled her journey.
“I don’t think my parents missed a game in all four years. It just meant a lot that they could come to all the games, and they’ve supported me all of my life,” said Velasco. “I wouldn’t have been as successful as I was here without them or just in life.”
In four years, Velasco not only etched her name into the record books but also built a legacy that will resonate for years to come. Whether on the court, in the locker room, or within the Bowling Green community, she led with humility, determination and a selfless attitude that inspired those around her.
“She’s a winner because I think she’s going to be successful in anything she does,” said Chmiel. “She grasps information, reads rooms and gives full effort. She’s a great human being. I think she’s going to win in whatever she chooses to do next.”
As Velasco embarks on her next journey, one thing remains clear: Whatever she chooses to pursue, Velasco’s legacy of hard work, leadership and dedication will continue to inspire those who witness her journey.
“We’ll walk players through the locker room,” said Chmiel. “We’ll see the alumni board and she’ll be one of the names that I point out because I enjoyed her that much.”
