For the Bates women’s basketball team, this season has not been what they wanted it to be. With a 7-16 record overall and a 1-8 record in the NESCAC, expectations have not been met for what they wanted to accomplish in terms of wins and losses. However, the record may not reflect everything. Speaking with Emily Freedland ’18 about her four years playing basketball at Bates and the team looking forward, she says, “Although our record may not show it, I feel that this season was definitely a huge turning point for the program. As a team, we’ve grown so much in terms of basketball, but also team culture-wise, which is something that can be carried on for future seasons.” It seems that the adversity faced this season can help the team in the future. Freedland continues, “This season has been a particularly special one, not only because it was my last one, but because we have such a great group of girls. Every single person on the team contributes in different ways, and everyone genuinely wants to work hard and push each other to get better, which has contributed to our successes this season.”

With this young team, the future is bright for the Bobcats. Freedland says, “We have a strong, talented group of underclassmen, and several of them have gotten the experience playing this year and have made a huge impact on the team already.” With such great experience in their first-years, they will have lots to build off of and contribute even more as they become upperclassmen.

Speaking with Freedland about what playing in her last game on Friday will be like, she says, “It’s definitely a sad feeling, especially because I have put so much time and effort into the sport and the team, and to know it’s all coming to an end is surreal. I’m definitely going to miss all of the games and practices and everything that goes into it, and also the time we spend together as a team.” The team atmosphere is especially strong, as she stresses here, and losing that after four years will be a hard adjustment, as it is for any athlete. But Freedland is happy to have had the experience she has with basketball at Bates. She says, “My experience at Bates would not be complete without playing basketball. I learned so much, on and off the court, and have built such strong friendships with my teammates. My team has really been my family away from home for the past 4 years.” This certainly is the atmosphere that athletics at Bates are supposed to create, and with this kind of culture present for the women’s team, their future seems bright. They play their last game of the season at Trinity on Friday, February 9.