Every member of the Fordham University women’s basketball team gets four tickets to each game, home or away, to give to family and friends. For Thursday night’s game at the University of Maine, senior guard Anna DeWolfe collected as many tickets from her teammates as she could.

“I have 40 people on my list,” DeWolfe said. “I’m extremely excited to play so close to home.”

This marks the first time DeWolfe, a Greely High graduate who was named Miss Maine Basketball in 2019, will play a collegiate game in her home state. Before continuing on to Orono on Wednesday, the Rams planned to stop at DeWolfe’s home in Cumberland for a team dinner.

Fordham (5-4) was picked fourth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, with DeWolfe named to the league’s preseason all-conference first team. Maine was picked second in America East, but is off to a 3-6 start in nonconference play.

DeWolfe, a two-time first team all-conference selection and the Atlantic 10’s Co-Player of the Year in 2021, is off to a strong start. The 5-foot-8 guard is second on the Rams in scoring, averaging 17.4 points and just over three assists per game. From 3-point range, DeWolfe is shooting 40% (28 for 70). DeWolfe scored at least 22 points in four of Fordham’s first nine games, including a season-high 26 in a 78-65 win over South Dakota on Nov. 26.

Averaging just under 35 minutes per game, DeWolfe leads the Rams in playing time, just as she did each of the past two seasons. Since arriving at Fordham, DeWolfe has started all 88 games in which she’s played.

“Anna is our energy person,” said Candice Green, Fordham’s interim head coach, who worked with Maine Coach Amy Vachon to make Thursday’s game happen.

“I don’t think Anna has ever had a bad practice. She’s always excited to play basketball.”

Green added that DeWolfe is a spark plug for the Rams. If DeWolfe gets off to a good start, it’s like the team will, too. DeWolfe scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half of Saturday’s 65-55 win over Manhattan. In a season-opening 80-67 win over Yale, DeWolfe scored 17 of her team-high 22 points in the first half as the Rams built an 11-point halftime lead.

That’s not to say DeWolfe doesn’t contribute in crunch time late in games. In the win over South Dakota, Fordham trailed by four points at the half, with DeWolfe scoring just four points on 2-for-8 shooting from the floor. In the second half, she caught fire, shooting 8 for 13, including 6 for 8 from 3-point range, to lead the comeback win.

“Definitely my confidence, from freshman year to now, has improved. I’ve matured a lot on and off the court,” DeWolfe said.

After leading the Atlantic 10 in scoring as a sophomore at 20.8 points per game and finishing second in scoring last season (17.8), DeWolfe has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the top shooters in the league. She’s become a player opponents often try to deny getting the ball, Green said. To counter that, the Rams work to free up DeWolfe by having her come off screens.

“Once Anna’s got the ball, it’s clear out and give her space,” Green said. “It’s a heavy burden, but one she carries well. Scoring is her role, but not what defines her.”

DeWolfe said she doesn’t need to be the focal point of the offense. Guard Asiah Dingle leads Fordham at 19.9 points per game, and forward Kaitlyn Downey averages just under 14 points . Three other players have had at least one game in double figures this season.

“We have a ton of scorers on our team. So many weapons, you can’t really focus on one of us,” DeWolfe said.

DeWolfe said she’s continuously working on becoming a better defender.

“Since my freshman year, we’ve talked about being a two-way player. We focus on our defense, and defense leads to offense,” DeWolfe said.

This spring, DeWolfe will graduate with a degree in communications and media studies. The NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to athletes during the 2020-21 season, when many schools had seasons cut short because of the pandemic. DeWolfe said she plans on returning to Fordham for a fifth season in 2023-24, although she’s not sure what she’ll study as a graduate student.

Since DeWolfe joined the program, Fordham’s record is 56-32, and the Rams reached the WNIT in each of the last two seasons. Knocking off defending conference champ and preseason favorite UMass will be tough, but not impossible, DeWolfe said.

“It’s a very competitive conference. In my last three years at Fordham, it’s come down to who’s playing well at the end of the season,” she said.

For now, for one game, DeWolfe is coming home, finally getting the opportunity to play in front of a lot of friends and family.

“I’m really excited to get Anna home,” said Green.

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