Auburn, ME - Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, is pleased to announce the women's basketball roster for the 2021-22 season. The 16-player roster is made up of student-athletes from Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, Texas, Oregon, The Netherlands, and New Zealand. Since the 2020-21 season was cancelled due to COVID, the Mustangs return just one player from 2019-20 team, and welcome 15 newcomers.
The lone returner is captain, Eliza Brault (Ossipee, NH). During the 2019-20 season, Brault helped lead the Mustangs to their 4th consecutive Yankee Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships, as well as National Runner-Up in the USCAA National Tournament. For her efforts during her first-year campaign, Brault was recongized as Yankee Conference 1st Team, USCAA 2nd Team All-American, and WBCA Honorable Mention All-American.
The 15 newcomers bring a nice mix of size and speed to the table and include; captain, Luna Love (Zwolle, Netherlands), Ja'Naia Moran (Boyton Beach, FL), Jamyah Nicolas (Lewiston, ME), Myah Nicolas (Lewiston, ME), Raven Thomas (Hutto, TX), Kali Thompson (Waterville, ME), captain, Safena Te Nana-Williams (Auckland, New Zealand), Jade Smedberg (Oxford, ME), Kierstyn Lyons (Mexico, ME), Harata Coleman (Tokomaru Bay, New Zealand), Leata Te Nana-Williams (Auckland, New Zealand), Emily Strachan (Lewiston, ME), Destiny Mora Lopez (The Dalles, Oregon), Sarah Poli (Benton, ME), and Cyla Moore (West Palm Beach, FL).
Coach Morong on this year's roster, "We had a lot of time to construct this roster, and we really could not be happier that it came together the way it did. As a coaching staff, having 15 newcomers is incredibly nerve-racking, but we are excited about the challenge and optimistic about the possible outcomes. We were more selective in the recruiting process than we have ever been, and set high expectations regarding the level of player, and type of person we wanted to bring in. Having Eliza back, and as a captain, is incredibly exciting. Not only was she one of the best players in the conference as a first-year, but she is a caring, empathetic, and hard-working person."
He continued, "We have the most diverse team that we have ever had, and it has already been a pleasure learning and growing with our student-athletes that come to us from next door, and across the world. Most importantly, each of the young people in our program will be engaged academically and in our community in their quest to futher their academic and athletic careers. After a year off, we have never been more excited to get back on the court, and we cannot wait to see our fans, friends, and families in the stands!"
