The 17-year-old Emilie Nørregaard-Laursen has already experienced so much within the basketball sport. She has spent most of her career with her club BK Amager, with just one remarkable detour; a year in the United States playing basketball in Phoenix. Her journey tells a story of amazing talent and a pure love for the game. “I actually started playing when I was five years old,” Emilie recalls. “My mom was playing back then, just for fun, and she introduced me to it. At the start I didn’t really like it, but then I was hooked after like one game.”

From those first steps (and yes, she laughs when remembering how she cried during her early practices) Emilie grew into a player whose passion for the sport now drives her every day. “I think just like the adrenaline you get from it, and just that I get to be good at something and I get to practice and have a lot of friends too,” she explains when asked why basketball became her biggest passion.

Growing up with basketball

Emilie’s basketball roots run in the family. “Actually not just my mom, my sister is playing now too. She’s 14, and she started when she was like seven years old.” Asked about the differences between them, Emilie smiles: “I think we’re playing kind of the same. Maybe I’m a little bit more used to attacking the basket, but that’s probably it.”

Her bond with BK Amager has been a constant throughout her development. “I started in a club called BK Amager, and that’s actually where I’m still playing today. I never switched clubs.” Even as a teenager, Emilie was already competing at the highest level of Danish basketball. “I started playing Women’s League three years ago, when I was 15. And I’m 17 now.”

That debut, she remembers vividly: “It was just really big. Of course I was nervous and scared, but I knew the people I played with, so that made me feel more comfortable. It was a big step, because I was playing against ladies.”

A year in the U.S.

In 2024-2025, Emilie made a bold move across the Atlantic, joining PSH Prep in Phoenix, Arizona. The experience broadened her perspective both on and off the court. “I think it was a really great experience. We got to play some of the best teams in the country, and I got to meet a lot of new people. We traveled a lot in the U.S. and even a little bit in Canada. It was a really big experience for me.”

She took home important lessons from her American adventure. “I think just physicality and just to be strong. There are a lot of strong girls in America. Of course in Denmark too, but that’s what I’m bringing most home. And then of course I practiced a lot of shooting in the U.S. The playing style is a little different from where I’m from, but that was something I liked experiencing. And it’s just such a big country compared to Denmark. The culture is different too, but it was really nice experiencing.”

Wearing Denmark on her chest

Perhaps Emilie’s proudest moments so far have come when representing Denmark’s national youth teams. She first played for the under 16 team at the European Championship in 2024. “That was a really big experience for me. I think I had a really great tournament that year. It was just such a fun trip with some of my really good friends from all over Denmark. It’s something I definitely miss still. And it was just really big playing with Denmark on your chest and singing the national anthem.”

The team finished sixth, a result Emilie remembers fondly. “We had a good tournament. We won some really good games. We lost in the quarterfinals, but we ended at the sixth place and we had a good time. That was the most important part.”

Last summer she stepped up again, this time with the under 18 squad. “Of course I played with a new team. I think we could have done a lot better. We just kept on losing with like one or two or three points. We were really unlucky in that part. But we still had a good time. You win some, you learn some.”

Asked who inspires her most, Emilie immediately names a college star. “I think Paige Bueckers. She inspires me. She went through a lot, and she just got rookie of the year. She’s really, really inspiring.”

Her own style, she explains, is built on years of dedication and trust in the game. “Special moments for me were when I learned things I had been practicing a lot on. And of course the moments with my team when we won and played some good tournaments. That was special.”

A Bright Future

Back at BK Amager for the new season, Emilie is excited about the future, though a recent injury clouds the picture. “I think my team can win. We have a good team and a lot of potential. I just hurt my knee this weekend, so we are looking into that. I don’t know when I am going to play again. But I for sure hope I’m going to play this season.”

Her mindset remains positive. “I hope we can do something. I think we have a good team this year, so it should be good.”

From her early days as a five-year-old, to making her Women’s League debut at just 15, to testing herself against some of the best in the U.S., Emilie Norregaard-Laursen has already proven she has the talent, determination, and love for basketball to go far.