When this year’s University of Maine seniors first walked through the doors at Memorial Gym, the program was in the throes of despair.
When the remaining seven members of that class, and a transfer addition, depart the Orono campus in May, they are going to be remembered as the players who helped restore the Black Bears’ proud tradition of women’s basketball.
UMaine fans will have the opportunity to salute the senior class, and the rest of the ballclub, on Saturday when the Black Bears close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. game at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
UMaine is encouraging fans to participate in a “Senior Day White Out” by wearing white for the game.
The senior class features Liz Wood, Mikaela Gustafsson, Sophie Weckstrom, Bella Swan, Lauren Bodine, Chantel Charles, Anna Heise and Milica Mitrovic.
Wood, a 5-foot-10 forward from Catlett, Virginia, is among the program’s best ever. Her 1,415 career points rank seventh all-time and her 865 rebounds are sixth in program history. She also ranks eighth with 355 assists and has 239 steals in 109 games.
Wood has earned two All-America East nods, one on the first team last season. She was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and was the Co-Rookie of the Year in 2013.
Gustafsson is a 6-2 forward from Sodertalje, Sweden, who has polished her post game to provide a key inside presence for UMaine. She has scored in double figures 25 times on the way to 687 career points and has 378 rebounds.
Weckstrom, a 5-8 guard from Espoo, Finland, has been part of the Black Bears’ guard rotation. She has made 149 career 3-pointers on the way to 678 points and also has 215 assists in 118 games.
Lauren Bodine has filled the role as a confident 3-point shooter. The 5-8 guard from Louisville, Kentucky, has tallied 570 career points while making 164 shots from beyond the arc while shooting 37 percent. She shares the school single-game record with seven 3’s.
Swan, a transfer from Salt Lake Community College, has continued to expand her role in her second season. The 5-10 leaper from Farmington, Utah, has 348 registered points, 252 rebounds, 75 assists and 46 steals in 62 games with the Black Bears.
Charles is a 5-10 guard from London. She has been a defensive presence and an offensive facilitator while logging 406 points, 168 assists and 90 steals in 116 career games for UMaine.
Heise has been a solid contributor during her career. The 6-4 forward from Halle, Germany, has provided 426 points and 268 rebounds in 98 games and is a 46 percent career shooter.
Milica Mitrovic, a 5-9 guard from Belgrade, Serbia, has been a study in perseverance. She has appeared in 69 games.