Over the course of her four seasons with the Boston University women’s basketball program, senior guard Sarah Hope has withstood a coaching change, a five-win season, a three-win season and an unfortunate knee injury that resulted in missing the final 13 games of her sophomore campaign with a 10-month recovery process.
Despite these adversities, Hope embodies her role as team captain and notable athlete at the university.
“The experience of not being so successful in the past two years forced us to stay positive,” Hope said. “That’s my number one thing, always just staying positive with the team no matter what happens. That experience really helped me to develop into the person and the leader that I am today.”
“She is a tremendous person,” said BU head coach Katy Steding. “She’s someone the whole team is friends with, and she’s kind of friends with the coaches, too. She’s able to become comfortable and friendly with everyone around her. She makes you feel warm and welcome no matter what the situation is.”
The Medway native recently broke the school’s all-time record for 3-pointers, which was set by Chantell Alford back in 2013, the season before Hope enrolled at BU.
“I [dedicated] so much time to my shooting,” Hope said. “I just devote a lot of time to shooting and working on my game and trying to become the best shooter I can for my team because I know that’s my role.”
Hope is in sole possession of fifth place in the Patriot League record book for 3-pointers made in a career.
Steding, who had a decorated playing career herself, said she envies Hope’s outside shooting.
“Sarah’s got a 3-point shot that everyone loves,” Steding said. “It’s not that she can just shoot threes, she seems to relish the clutch threes more than the ordinary kickouts. I think she really likes sticking the dagger in and you’ve got to love that about her.”
But Hope’s game is really more than that.
“My coaches have been on me from the jump since I got here [saying] that I can’t be just a 3-point shooter,” Hope said. “I think with me really focusing on my conditioning this past offseason, that allowed me to really drive to the basket, work on my mid-range [shot] and develop my game in other aspects.”
Former Terrier head coach Kelly Greenberg’s staff originally recruited Hope, but the 5-foot-7 guard’s infectious personality is well received by all.
“She talks to everyone and she’s not just a social person, she’s a nice person,” Steding said. “She wants everyone to feel included and valued and that’s the kind of character she has. She’s a treat to be around and she draws people in.”
The Terriers have taken the Patriot League by storm during Hope’s senior campaign. In the preseason poll, the Terriers were picked to finish dead last in the 10-team conference. Instead, the Terriers finished with the fifth seed in the conference following a monumental victory over third-place United States Military Academy, the Terriers’ first victory at West Point since 1982.
“We are positive no matter what happens,” said Hope, who is averaging double figures for the first time in her career at 11.9 points per game, including over three triples a contest. “Ever since I’ve been here we’ve always had a family culture. We’ve had a togetherness that I can attribute to our family culture.”
With an 11-7 conference record, the Terriers reversed their highest mark during Hope’s career, which was 7-11 during her freshman year in the 2013-2014 season.
In a home contest over American University on Feb. 8, Hope set a career-high of 24 points. The 71-62 victory not only solidified the Terriers in the upper echelon of the Patriot League, but it also served as a true hallmark of the dedication by the team.
“American (14-15, 11-7 Patriot League) and us kind of have a little rivalry,” said Hope. “I don’t know how that came about but it was definitely great to come out and get a win at home in front of all those fans.”
Steding attributes the resurgence of the program in part to Hope and the Terriers’ two other seniors in guard Courtney Latham and forward Meghan Green.
“I have to take my hat off to all three seniors in that respect because they have been stalwart, in it from the beginning and haven’t wavered from their dedication to the program,” said Steding. “She really is one of our hardest workers. I can say that about Courtney and Meghan as well.”
With the rise of underclassmen during the season, Hope feels that the Terriers are poised to improve in the coming seasons.
“After my class leaves, BU is still going to be in a really good place,” Hope said. “We have great leadership on the team with [junior guard] Corinne Williams and a great inside game with [junior center] Sophie [Beaudry] and [freshman forward] Nia [Irving] and guards in [sophomores] Lauren Spearman, Payton Hauck and Naiyah Thompson. I’m not worried for them, they’re in a good place. We started something really great this season in being so successful and I just think they’re going to carry that out.”
The Terriers are set to travel to the nation’s capital to face American on Monday, looking to beat the Eagles for the second time in three contests this season. A win would advance the Terriers to the semifinals for the first time during the team’s Patriot League tenure.
“I can’t wait,” said Hope. “It’s definitely going to be really exciting. I’m pumped for it and I’m pumped for our team. We’re just focusing on us, just do our thing and it’ll take care of itself.”
