Ásta Júlía Grímsdóttir

Ásta Júlía Grímsdóttir (born 22 February 2001) is an Icelandic basketball player for Valur of the Úrvalsdeild kvenna. She won the Icelandic championship in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and the Icelandic Cup in 2019 as a member of Valur.

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Ásta Júlía.
Ásta Júlía Grímsdóttir
No. 15 – Valur
PositionForward
LeagueÚrvalsdeild kvenna
Personal information
Born (2001-02-22) 22 February 2001
Iceland
NationalityIcelandic
Listed height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Career information
CollegeHBU (2019–2020)
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2017KR
2017–2019Valur
2020–presentValur
Career highlights and awards

Playing career

KR

Ásta came up through the junior programs of KR and played two season for the club in the second-tier 1. deild kvenna. In 2017 she was named the 1. deild kvenna Young Player of the Year after averaging 9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.[1]

Valur

After the 2016–2017 season, Ásta signed with Valur of the top-tier Úrvalsdeild kvenna.[1] She helped the team to the Úrvalsdeild finals in 2018 where it lost to Haukar, 3–2.[2]

She had a breakout season in 2018–2019, averaging 8.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, and helping Valur to the best record in the league.[3] On 16 February 2019, she won the Icelandic Cup after Valur defeated Stjarnan in the Cup finals, 74–90.[4] On 27 April, Ásta helped Valur win the national championship for the first time in the team's history.[5]

Houston Baptist Huskies

In March 2019, Ásta agreed to join the Houston Baptist Huskies women's basketball team.[6][7]

Return to Iceland

On 23 September 2020, Ásta signed a 2-year contract with Valur.[8][9] On 2 June 2021, she won the national championship after Valur beat Haukar 3–0 in the Úrvalsdeild finals.[10][11]

On 28 April 2023, she won her third Icelandic championship after Valur defeated top-seeded Keflavík in the Úrvalsdeild finals, 3–1.[12]

National team career

Ásta played 17 games for the Icelandic national U-16 team from 2016 to 2017.[13] In June 2016, she was named to the All-First team during the Nordic Championships.[14] In 2017, she averaged 11.3 points and 14.6 rebounds for Iceland during the U16 Women's European Championship Division B.[15] In 2018, she appeared in 13 games for the Icelandic national U-18 team.[16]

Personal life

Ásta is the daughter of Icelandic parliament member Helga Vala Helgadóttir and Grímur Atlason, a politician and former manager of the Iceland Airwaves music festival.[17][18]

References
  1. Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (28 May 2017). "Besti ungi leikmaður 1. deildarinnar til Vals". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  2. Böðvar Sigurbjörnsson (30 April 2018). "Guðbjörg: Ömurlegt að spila gegn Helenu". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  3. Hjörvar Ólafsson (28 March 2019). "Ásta Júlía á leið í skóla í Houston". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  4. "Valur bikarmeistari í fyrsta sinn". RÚV (in Icelandic). 16 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  5. Davíð Eldur (27 April 2019). "Ásta Júlía: Ekki hægt að ná þessum ekki". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  6. "Ásta Júlía í sterkt háskólalið vestanhafs". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 March 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  7. "WBB: Huskies Sign Three Players for 2019–2020 Class". hbuhuskies.com. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  8. Ólafur Þór Jónsson (23 September 2020). "Ásta Júlía snýr aftur til Vals". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  9. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (18 May 2021). "„Ruslakonan" Ásta Júlía fékk mikið hrós í Domino´s Körfuboltakvöldi". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  10. Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke (2 June 2021). "Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Valur - Haukar 74-65 - Sópurinn á lofti og Valur Íslandsmeistari". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  11. Jóhann Ingi Hafþórsson (28 April 2023). "Hafði enginn trú á okkur". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  12. Þorkell Gunnar Sigurbjörnsson (28 April 2023). "Valskonur eru Íslandsmeistarar í körfubolta". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  13. "Landslið U-16". kki.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Association. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  14. Davíð Eldur (30 June 2017). "Ásta Júlía í úrvalsliði Norðurlandamótsins". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  15. "Asta Julia Grimsdottir at the FIBA U16 Women's European Championship Division B 2017 – FIBA.basketball". Fiba.basketball. FIBA. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  16. "Landslið U-18". kki.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Association. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  17. Þórarinn Þórarinsson (30 March 2019). "Ásta Júlía stekkur á þriggja stiga tækifæri". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  18. "Tónleikahaldari sest í bæjarstjórastól". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 21 July 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
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