Though she hails from Sammamish, Wash., point guard Tory Mauseth ’05 has proven she is also at home beyond the arc.
Over the past three seasons, Mauseth’s shooting touch from downtown has entered her name into the Yale record book and the minds of her opponents. On March 4 last year, Mauseth nailed seven three-pointers to lead the Elis over Cornell, tying the school record for threes in a single game.
“That [game] was pretty exciting; my family was there for my 21st birthday,” Mauseth said. “It felt great being able to tie the record, but most importantly it was great to get the win.”
This season, she has already nailed 25 three-pointers for a career total of 148, just nine shots shy of Yale’s record-holder Autumn Braddock ’99. Mauseth has been the team’s leading scorer in five games so far this season, including a 79-70 win over Morgan State where she scored 22 points. Aside from her dominant talent behind the arc, Mauseth is currently leading the Yale women’s basketball team with 31 assists.
The persistent Pisces knows just how important it is to progress as a team and has used her skills on the court and her charms off the court to do just that.
Mauseth is also known for her physical play on the court when the time calls for it.
“She’s great at getting steals and taking charges,” center Erica Davis ’07 said. “She knows where to be defensively and she’s always tireless. She has so much energy out on the court that it’s almost daunting.”
Mauseth also has deadly aim at the free throw line, as she has gone 31-for-36 from the charity stripe.
Mauseth’s exquisite shooting ability seemed to have come naturally ever since she was five years old. During her childhood years she loved to go out and shoot hoops at the park with her friends even though she had her own net in her backyard.
“I just liked being able to play with a bunch of the girls who lived around the neighborhood,” Mauseth said. “I just enjoyed the people, the competition and the teamwork.”
In little to no time at all, Mauseth found herself pioneering her high school’s basketball squad, being part of the first team ever to play for Skyline High. With all of her teammates being freshmen as well, Mauseth found it easy to get along with everyone and make history happen for such a young team.
Aside from basketball, Mauseth also played four years of track, three years of volleyball and one year of cross-country.
Mauseth graduated with four varsity letters in basketball, four seasons with double-digit scoring, three all-league honors and two team MVPs.
In making the transition from high school basketball to college basketball, Mauseth only needed a little time to adjust.
As a shooting guard her freshman year, Mauseth played in all 27 games and started in one of them. She also scored 15 points in her college debut. That being said, Mauseth felt like any freshman would upon first stepping foot onto a college court.
“I was definitely nervous,” Mauseth said. “The coaches had to keep telling me to slow down because sometimes I would try to be everywhere at once just to make sure I was in the right place at the right time.”
When junior year came, Mauseth took on the role and responsibility of point guard “in stride,” Davis said.
Mauseth scored a career-high 26 points in the 83-60 win over Cornell the night she tied the three-point record. Her skills and teamwork earned her a team MVP that season as well.
“Tory’s greatest asset is her fearless shooting from beyond the arc,” Yale head coach Amy Backus said in a press release. “We’ve had some great three-point shooters at Yale, and Tory could be one of the best. She has a quick release with great range.”
This year, Mauseth has remained a staple in Yale’s starting lineup. She has played all 13 games this season and has started in 12 of them.
She has earned great compassion and respect from her teammates over the past seasons with the Bulldogs. Many of her fellow Elis see her as a nurturing figure, and they say her qualities off the court complement her skills on it.
During practices Mauseth is always in a positive and cheerful mood. She reflects her optimism and high morale onto her teammates as well. She is always there for them with words of encouragement whenever they need it, teammates said, and she has even on occasion given them small gifts.
“She’s very genuine and a joy to be around,” Davis said. “[The team] nicknamed her ‘Mama T’ because she’s like a mother; she’s always watching over us.”
In every game Mauseth keeps her focus not only on her team, but also on what the team plays for. Although the Bulldogs were picked by experts to finish fifth in the Ancient Eight this season, Mauseth keeps an open mind on the future and anticipates a solid conference campaign.
“I think we’re all very excited [about the Ivy season],” Mauseth said. “We just want to learn from our mistakes and get a better understanding of our opponents so that we can peak at the right time.”
With high hopes and plenty of talent on her shoulders, Mauseth will more than likely make a difference this season.