Sára Laczkó has carved out an impressive career from her early days with PEAC-Pécs to competing at the highest levels in Hungary. In this article, she shares her journey, the challenges she faced, and the passion that drives her on the court. Photo: FIBA Europe

Early beginnings

Sára started to play basketball when she was 10 years old. She don’t remember too much about these practices, but she felt really good. “The coach who was there sent me to this academy in Pécs. That is the biggest academy here in Hungary, and I started to play there after practicing in school for about half a year."

Discovering her passion

Basketball wasn't initially a grand plan for Sára. "I just tried it and loved it immediately. I really like the fanatism and to win. It's a really good feeling," she explains. Inspired by her father, who was a table tennis player at the European Championships level, Sára strived to improve continuously. "My father was inspiring me to be better and better."

Photo: FIBA Europe

Becoming a rising star

The academy in Pécs played a crucial role in her development. It was really hard to play, but it was really good for Sára. “There were a lot of players, and I had to be better every day than them and show that I was a good player," Sára says.

Playing professional basketball

Since 2019, Sára has played for PEAC-Pécs in the highest league of Hungary. She was really nervous before the first game. It was my main goal to play here. I was 15 years old when COVID came, and the team didn't have enough players. They brought juniors up to the other team, and then I came and played the first match. It was amazing," she tells us about her debut.

Photo: FIBA Europe

European adventures

Playing in the EuroCup since 2022 has been another highlight for Sára. "It was really good to travel to a lot of countries and play in different cultures. The club I played for was really good, and I think I played in the EuroCup every year. It was a really nice feeling to travel."

National team experience

Sára has also made her mark on the national team. "When I played for the national team for the first time at 14 years old, we went to a cup called Slovenian Ball. When I was 18, we had the European Championship in Greece. It was amazing to play for the country and go to a beautiful place," she confirms.

Reflecting on her time as a youth player for the national team, Sára highlights the preparation tournaments. "Last year, we had a lot of preparation tournaments. We went to France and Italy to play preparation games. The team was really good. The whole summer was really great, and I enjoyed it," she says. Despite some disappointing results, the experience was invaluable. "We wanted to be in the best eight, but the whole summer was really great."