Within team environments, there has to be a leader to step up to the task. Sophomore Maraja Pass said she hopes to step up to the role this season. 

Pass said she is going into the season optimistic and ready to prove herself as a scoring threat on the court — along with being a vocal leader for the Phoenix. 

“Mainly, I just focus on being a leader, getting that aspect of my game improved to being able to lead my team, being able to be a leader on defense and offense,” Pass said.

Pass, coming off of an extremely strong freshman season, found herself on the Coastal Athletic Association All-Rookie team. She also earned three CAA Rookie of the Week honors. The 5-foot-4 guard averaged 8.6 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 30 games played. She led all CAA freshmen in assists. She found her career high in points in a game against Marshall last December where she notched 21 points for the Phoenix. 

Pass said these stats and accolades don’t get in the way of her goals for herself and her team. 

“I think that accolades really don't boost my confidence or anything like that,” Pass said. “I just want to help my team win, honestly.”

Other than being a leader, Pass also prioritized scoring during the offseason working on her jump shot. 

“I think that's something that me and coach Smith really drilled this summer, that I wanted to be a threat from outside as well,” Pass said.

Pass exited her freshman season with a 40% field goal percentage and 27.5%  from the three-point line, which was second highest on the team. She looks to continue to improve these numbers this season.

“I mean sophomore slump; not a thing for me,” Pass said. “So, just trying to build off of last season.”  

However, she said she hopes her biggest improvement comes from her presence on the court and her ability to lead and motivate her teammates in every way possible. According to head coach Charlotte Smith, Pass’s personality and communication on the court helps her thrive in her position and gives the team the best chance of winning. 

“Being a point guard, you have to be vocal,” Smith said. “You're the director back on defense as you are the first one back in the hole and directing traffic. So, hearing her be more vocal has definitely been a great addition to helping us be a better team, and she's done a tremendous job of being a leader for our first-years, trying to get them organized, helping them to understand what we're trying to accomplish in our offensive and defensive schemes.” 

Pass’s leadership is not just directed toward her younger freshman teammates, but also with her veteran teammates in games and practice, according to Smith. 

“It's amazing to see how there's no slippage in her leadership, whether she's on a veteran team or young team,” Smith said.

The team has another reason to have high expectations with the return of guards Raven Preston and Kamryn Doty. Both guards left the season early due to injury, which ultimately increased Pass’s workload on the floor giving her the opportunity to thrive in her freshman campaign. 

With their return, both players expect to have an immediate impact on the Phoenix. In the 2022-23 season, Doty averaged 28.4% from three-point range and 75.6% from the free throw line, and Preston averaged 24.2% from behind the three-point line. Their addition will ease the load Pass had to carry last year.

“I believe that we need each and every individual on the floor, and I believe that they will contribute a great, great amount to our team's success this year,” Pass said.

Smith said she is also excited for their addition and believes they will relieve some of the responsibility Pass has to carry. 

“Raven and Doty are definitely some great additions that will help carry some of the load offensively,” Smith said.