PressBox recently chatted with Navy women’s basketball junior Maren Louridas about a day in the life at the Naval Academy, bouncing back from a one-win season and more. The 6-foot guard averaged 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Mids in 2023-24. Louridas is a native of Delmar, N.Y., and graduate of Bethlehem Central High School.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in basketball?
Maren Louridas: I first started playing basketball in fifth grade. I actually went to Tay Fisher Basketball Camp. He was a Harlem Globetrotter. It kind of went from there. I got on my first AAU team. My dad played at NYU. My mom also played in high school. We’re overall a big basketball family, too. When gymnastics didn’t work out — when I got too tall — we just switched over to basketball.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
ML: I would definitely say my dad, [Aaron]. He was definitely a big influence my whole basketball career. Probably my biggest supporters were my two parents. He really helped me a lot. Also growing up watching Steph Curry play, I am No. 30. … Also I’m really close to my little brother, [Jack], so we definitely push each other a lot. He’s also No. 30. He’s had a big influence on my game, too.
PB: Why did you choose to go to the Naval Academy?
ML: My grandfather, [John], went to West Point for a couple years, and he’s been a huge inspiration to me. He’s now an orthopedic surgeon and definitely just really inspired me to come here. … I really didn’t know about the Naval Academy before [the recruiting process], being from Upstate New York. Through that whole process, just fell in love with it.
PB: What’s your favorite memory from your time at the Naval Academy?
ML: I would definitely say going through Plebe Year. At the end of the year doing [the Navy Sea Trials] with my company and then [the Herndon Monument Climb], and also just being with my teammates since then. I don’t think I can pick out a specific memory, but definitely just showing up every day, being able to see my teammates, work hard, it’s been great. We’re super close. It’s awesome.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about the Naval Academy?
ML: My favorite thing is definitely — it might be cliché to say this, but the people. As I said, I’ve built some really amazing friendships, connections for life — people that I know are going to be lifelong friends. It really has brought me my best friends, and also … being able to push myself and push others to become the best versions of themselves is really cool, really special.
PB: What’s a day in the life of a Navy women’s basketball player like?
ML: We wake up at 6:30, morning quarters formation at 7 a.m., then we eat breakfast with our squad — or we’ll have a 6 a.m. lift and then we’ll just eat with the team after that. After that, we have four class periods until lunch, each 50 minutes long. At lunch, we’ll either have lunch workouts or we’ll have lunch formation at noon and eat with our companies again. We’ll do some homework until our next class, which is fifth period. That’ll be another 50-minute period. We’ll have some time to get some rehab in, extra workouts. Practice usually starts at 4, usually practice until 6:15, 6:30. We shower and eat dinner with the team. That’s rolling tray, so come whenever. After that, we have study period from 8-10 p.m., blocked off time where nobody can bother you from studying. After that, you do homework until bed and then repeat.
PB: Who’s your best friend and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
ML: I would say my best friend on the team is Toni Papahronis. She’s No. 22. Really, we’ve been best friends since the beginning. She did tear her ACL the first game of our freshman season. I was crying more than she was, probably. I still had to play and she unfortunately was taken away and got surgery shortly after. She’s been by my side the whole time. Just being able to have her no matter what has been so great.
PB: You were named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 2022-23. Who did you lean on during that season?
ML: My coaches were huge supporters of me, especially [assistant coach] Marlena Tremba. She’s always been able to get in extra workouts whenever I ask and been a huge supporter of me — also through the help of Coach Taylor and his belief in me. Just working hard every day. I really just wanted to do whatever I could to help my team. This last year we got a lot better and now as captain this year, I just want us to, as we start our in-season practices, just push each other to get better every single day. I’m super, super excited. I hope do right by my teammates.
PB: Navy had 14 wins a year ago after one the year prior. Why did your team take such a big step forward?
ML: I think just coming in that growth mindset and also when we were in that bad season, nobody ever quit. Everybody still showed up every single day. We still pushed each other. We still were excited to see each other, happy to be there, whereas it would break a lot of teams apart. That adversity really made us mentally stronger and gave us that mental edge that nobody else has because once you know what it’s like to lose, you really do appreciate winning that much more and you keep chasing that high. I would say although it was a tough season, I think just looking it in terms of a growth mindset would [end up being] really impactful for us. And then last year, a lot of our freshmen were put into really big roles and they really delivered. Zanai Barnett-Gay and Kyah Smith really showed up last year. That was great. We’ve only gotten better throughout the summer and preseason. The player development on our team is really huge, so I’m excited to see how we are this year.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
ML: Go where you fit the best. I think for me, it’s really all about the fit and having that almost say-yes-to-the-dress moment when you walk on campus, if you really see yourself there. Division I athletics are going to be hard. As they say at the Naval Academy, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Having to juggle Division I athletics on top of the Naval Academy academics and military commitments is really difficult but really rewarding in the end.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
ML: My goals after basketball are to be the best Navy or Marine Corps officer that I can be and to do right by my people and also just be a role model for all Navy women’s basketball players that come after me and really do everything I can to leave a mark on this program and help the people who come after me, for sure.
Photo Credit: Phil Hoffmann/Navy Athletics
Issue 289: October/November 2024
Originally published Oct. 16, 2024