WALTHAM, Mass. – Graduate student Ella Thompson (Greenwood, Ind./Cedar Grove HS) and a pair of seniors, Maggie Whitmore (South Portland, Maine/South Portland HS) and Brooke Obar (Yarmouth, Maine/Greely HS), will serve as captains of the 2023-24 Bentley University women's basketball team, head coach C White announced.

"Our tri-captains were voted unanimously by their teammates and the coaching staff," said White. "They each bring something different to the team and complement each other in the ways this program needs both on and off the court."

Thompson, a two-time All-Northeast-10 selection who will enter her final season within 100 of 1,000 career points, was voted to the All-Conference third team a year ago. She knocked down a team-best 53 three-pointers and was second on the team in both scoring (10.8 per game) and assists (70).

"Ella might be one of the hardest working players I have ever coached. She LIVES in the gym," praised White. "Her work ethic is contagious and because of it, she holds her teammates to a higher standard. She expects more out of herself and is constantly trying to improve her game. She likes to be coached and she wants to be better. She has developed and matured even more off the court in the past few years to become a great captain and leader."

Whitmore had a breakout season last year with her honors including second-team All-Northeast-10, WBCA Division II honorable mention All-America and Most Outstanding Player in the NE10 Championships. She provided the Falcons with 12.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals a game, and was sixth nationally in Division II in free throw percentage with a school record .916.

"Maggie is hands-down one of our most talented and versatile players. She makes all the pieces of the puzzle fit together," said White. "Her overall basketball IQ is extremely high and her versatility is why she is so instrumental to our team's success. She can do a bit of everything and she does it all very well. As a captain, she knows when to assert herself and has no problem putting the team on her back. She leads by example more than vocally but when she talks, they listen."

Obar, over the last two seasons, has appeared in 47 games and totaled 133 points, 57 rebounds, 47 assists and 36 steals. There was one seven-game stretch midseason last winter when she came up with 19 steals.

"Brooke has had a few injuries set her back from showing what she is fully capable of, but we have high expectations for her this year and know she will deliver," commented White. "She is willing to do whatever the team and her teammates need. She handles stressful situations extremely well and keeps her composure in moments of high pressure. She isn't the most vocal leader but she has great relationships with all of her teammates which allows for great communication and delivery."

Bentley, tabbed second in the Northeast-10 preseason coaches poll and 18^th in the WBCA Division II preseason rankings, opens its season this weekend in the Redhawks Classic at Roberts Wesleyan University.

Bentley, 8-1 in its last nine games a year ago, will face Daemen on Friday and Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday.