TOWSON, Md. – Maia Lee is still pinching herself.
Even though there's plenty of celebratory photos on social media confirming the accomplishment and she has a championship hat, t-shirt, trophy along with a piece of the net she snipped, the Towson University redshirt senior still can't believe everything.
"It still feels like a dream even though we won the CAA championship," Lee said. "We're all like whoa, it happened right? I mean, we have the evidence that it happened. Wow. It's special and an unreal feeling in general to be in the NCAA Tournament. When I was younger, I used to fill out brackets to see who was going to win. Now my team is in the bracket."
The Towson University women's basketball team is one of 64 teams that will compete for a national championship. That's real.
Towson (20-12 overall) is participating in its first NCAA tournament in program history. The Tigers were seeded 15th in the Albany Region and will open against second-seeded Connecticut (31-2) Friday night in Storrs. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and begin around 6:30 p.m. after the No. 7 Rutgers-No. 10 Buffalo game.
"It's a great opportunity to play one of the top teams in the nation in a great basketball environment," said Lee, a redshirt senior. "Not a lot a people get this opportunity so being able to play a program like Connecticut is a great thing in itself. We are excited to be in the NCAA Tournament and represent Towson."
Lee has been an awesome ambassador for Towson on and off the floor since transferring from Old Dominion in 2015. Currently, she's working on her master's degree in professional studies with a concentration in geriatric psychology. Lee earned her bachelor's degree last May in psychology and gerontology, which was her minor.
She's played a critical role in helping the Tigers win 20 games for the second time in program history.
Lee is second in the CAA in offensive rebounds (3.1), fifth in rebounding (6.8) and seventh in blocked shots (1.2). In addition, Lee has helped Towson lead the CAA in blocked shots (6.3) and offensive rebounds (16.5). The Tigers are also second in rebounding margin (5.2) and rebounding (42.7).
Throughout her career, Lee has played with competitive excellence and palpable energy. She's a diligent defender and a relentless rebounder as evidenced by her career-high 17 boards against Delaware on Feb. 28.
During last week's CAA Tournament, Lee was a silent force for the Tigers on both ends of the floor. In the CAA title game against Drexel, Lee scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds. She had seven rebounds in the quarterfinal road win over Delaware. She's had six double-digit rebound games this season.
"She really picked up her game in the tournament," second year Towson head women's basketball coach
Diane Richardson said. "We counted on her to get boards. She's one of the top leaders in the CAA and really transformed her game. Just to see her in the tournament and go after those rebounds like nobody was going to stop her was great. We love that about her and the tenacity she showed in those games."
Yet when the final buzzer sounded at Delaware, Lee was overcome with emotion especially after thinking about her journey in which she conquered adversity in the form of self-doubt after ankle surgery. She cried tears of joy during the massive on-court celebration as confetti rained on jubilant Tigers.
"At that moment, I feel like all my hard work had paid off," said Lee on her feelings as the final buzzer sounded. "Every time I did a sprint, and every time I did something that I didn't want to do, I knew deep down it was for the betterment of the team, so winning the championship made everything worth it. That's kind of what went through my mind."
There were moments when Lee didn't believe she would be able to contribute the way she wanted to for the Tigers. The surgery to repair her ankle caused Lee to have a temporary confidence crisis. She wasn't sure if she would ever return to the form that made her a top high school player.
"It took me a long time to get back to feeling like myself," Lee said. "I felt like I was going to quit because I couldn't play as well as I could before or be the same type of player I was before surgery. Getting past that moment is tough, but the coaches instilled confidence in me by telling me I would get there."
She's enjoyed her time at Towson. Now, she's rewarded like the rest of the Tigers with the opportunity of a lifetime. Many young girls when they begin playing at an early age, have fantasies about playing against or for a program like UConn one day.
"I've made friends for life here," Lee said. "I love the TU atmosphere, the fans and everybody that's been around us. It's been great to me. This week is going to be great because I get to spend more time around my teammates. I love our team because everybody has the same winning mindset and we all do whatever is needed to win. Winning a CAA Championship and playing in the NCAA tournament means so much. I can't think of a better way to end my career."
