Payne's Buffs Sign Three for 2020-21

BOULDER—Colorado women's basketball head coach JR Payne announced the addition of three student-athletes as part of the 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday.

The Buffaloes welcome the addition of Frida Formann, Kylee Blacksten and Allysa Lafontaine.

"I am extremely excited to announce our signing class for 2020," Payne exclaimed. "We are signing three remarkable young women. Frida, Allysa and Kylee embody everything great about being a student-athlete and will have a huge impact on our program and community moving forward."

Formann, a 5-foot-11 guard from Bagsværd, Denmark, will bring loads of international experience to Boulder next fall. She was recently selected to the Danish Women's National Team and represent Denmark in the upcoming FIBA Eurobasket Qualifiers for 2021 later this month. Formann has played in five games in the Danish Women's league this season, averaging 20.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Last season she finished the year with 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, playing with the Værløse Blue Hawks. Formann has helped her club teams win four different Nordic Championships. She totaled 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game playing on the U18 Danish in the European Division B Championships, helping Denmark to its best finish ever (5th).

"Frida is one of the most well-rounded players in all of Europe," Payne noted. "At 5-11, Frida can play multiple positions and can truly do a little bit of everything. She comes from a basketball family where both parents have either played or coached with the Danish National Team. Frida has an extremely high basketball IQ and an unmatched competitive spirit. I can guarantee that Buff fans will love watching Frida play for years to come."

Allysa Lafontaine, a 6-foot guard, is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. She is a three-time First Team All-District selection out of Boswell H.S. She averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a junior. Lafontaine became a 1,000-point scorer last season for the Pioneers,

ESPN.com ranks her as a three-star recruit. She is noted as agile on the perimeter and a triple-threat creator.

"Allysa is a big, strong, versatile guard who will bring a level of toughness and grit to our backcourt," Payne described. "It's rare that you see a young player who loves to defend and takes pride in being a great defensive player. We are very fortunate to have that in Allysa. She is the ultimate team player and will be a great addition to our team both on and off the court."

Blacksten, a 6-foot-3 guard, comes to CU from Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs. She has been an All-Conference selection in each of her three years as a Kadet. She was honorable mention as a freshman, working her way up to Second and First Team selections her sophomore and junior seasons. As a junior, Blacksten led Air Academy to a 26-1 record, with the team's only loss coming in the state championship game. She averaged 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last year. Blacksten also earned two letters playing soccer at Air Academy.

"Kylee is one of the best players in the state of Colorado and has become one of the most versatile players around," Payne commented. "At 6-foot-3, Kylee will be the longest guard on our roster and can do so many great things on the court. We are thrilled that we are keeping her at home and that Colorado fans will get to enjoy watching her play in her home state."

Colorado opened the 2019-20 season with an 80--57 win over NJIT last Sunday. The Buffs are back on the court on Thursday, hosting Wisconsin at 7 p.m.

Colorado University Athletics

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