In Play(er) of the Week, our goal is to highlight outstanding athletes or moments from games that deserve extra attention. 

Laura Baine ’24 is a member of the Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team who has established herself as one of the most indispensable elements of the Cardinals’ offense this season. This past week, she had two monster games. She recorded a then-career-high seven points (four goals and three assists) against No. 17 nationally ranked Amherst, securing a fourth consecutive Little Three title. She then scored five goals versus No. 3-ranked Tufts to clinch a thrilling come-from-behind 17–15 victory. For these two exceptional performances, Baine was recognized as NESCAC Player of the Week and Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III National Offensive Player of the Week. Baine sat down with The Argus to discuss her recent accolades, her love for her team, and her excitement about what else is in store this season.     

The Argus: Can you introduce yourself?

Laura Baine: I’m a computer science major with an IDEAS [Integrated Design, Engineering, Arts, & Society] minor concentrated in computers. I am from Rye, New York, and I play attack. 

A: How did you first start playing lacrosse?

LB: My mom took me to [a] clinic in a neighboring town, and I was actually with my teammate Georgia Mackie [’24] in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and I started playing.

A: What’s your favorite part of your sport, and what would you say is the hardest part?

LB: My favorite part is the people I get to meet. I love my teammates, and I’m still connected with my club team and my high school coach. She was actually at our game like two weeks ago. And I love how creative you can be. The hardest thing is probably the physicality. Girls can be much stronger than you, so you have to be quick around them. 

A: Why did you decide that you wanted to be a part of Wesleyan’s lacrosse program?

LB: My brother played baseball at Middlebury, so I was familiar with the NESCAC. And when I was speaking to his friends who went to other NESCACs, Wesleyan was the one [about which] they had nothing negative to say, and I was really impressed by that. And my high school coach said, “Pick the school [that] if you broke your leg, you would still love it.” And the other thing is, I thought the program was really competitive. [Head Coach] Kim [Williams] really turned the program around eight years ago, and I wanted to be a part of it.

A: What has been your favorite part of being on this team? What do you think makes it special?

LB: How goofy we are. You can’t go a day without a laugh or someone cracking a joke, like Georgia or Becca [Dibble ’26] are so funny. I think they make it fun.

A: Coming into this season, how were you feeling approaching this year?

LB: Honestly, I think in my mind I was a little up in the air because we lost so many starters that I’d played with for two years. I knew that our team creates such a competitive atmosphere that we were gonna be great. It was just, how are we gonna be great? And I think each game we’ve played and every practice we’ve played, I see how much potential we have. So I feel like as the season’s gone, I’ve seen more. 

A: Last Tuesday, you guys played Amherst away and you won the Little Three. The score ended up being 17–8, and you had four goals and three assists. So what was that game like for you personally, and how do you feel about the results?

LB: I’m very happy. I think the Little Three, as our coaches and captains always say, is the first check mark of the season, which is fabulous. And in my mind, I always get a little extra competitive when we play Amherst just because of how rowdy the atmosphere gets. So I’m just glad we stepped up and we brought it home. 

A: And then Saturday, you guys played Tufts—who was ranked third in the country at the time—and defeated them 17–15. In that game, you scored five goals, including the game-tying goal and the final goal with a minute to go. You played a huge role in putting the game away. What was it like coming into that game? To what do you attribute the results of that game?

LB: Going into the game, it was senior day. So I just felt so loved. I’m so close with my family and they all came, so it was really fun getting to see all of them right before the game. And also how much our grade was being celebrated […] was exciting. During the game, I feel like Tufts was having a momentum shift in the third quarter, [but] we didn’t put our heads down. We kept fighting, and we still believed that we could do it. So once we took control over the game, there was no question that we were going to win even though we were down four goals. So I just felt like we were gonna take the game back. 

A: On Monday, you received NESCAC Player of the Week for the first time in your career. What was it like getting that award? Did you think you were gonna get it?

LB: I always try to—not put myself down—but not keep my hopes up too high because you never know, and honestly, I feel like Molly Greer [’24] and Kiara [Tangney ’25] had fabulous weeks, too, if you look at them statistically. But a lot of my teammates kept telling me I was gonna get it. So I feel like they were encouraging me. I just think it’s cool recognizing that my hard work paid off. But also, I think our hard work paid off. I couldn’t get that without our team being so good. 

 A: And then you were named IWLCA Offensive Player of the Week. So what was it like when you got that one? 

LB: I think it’s cool that they’re recognizing me and us and how important those wins are for our team, just because Tufts is always a big game, and I wouldn’t win that without a big team win. 

A: This weekend, you guys have two games: Hamilton on Saturday and then William Smith on Sunday. How do you feel about this set of games you have ahead of you?  

LB: I think we’re ready. We had a great practice yesterday. I think it’s going to be a fun week. Games are just fun for me and our team. We have dance parties before. It’s gonna be more of a show of our hard work from preseason and through the season. 

A: Your jersey number is 11. Is there any significance behind that? 

LB: My brother was 11 in high school basketball, and then one plus one is two, and I was 2 my whole life. 

A: Do you have a favorite team bonding activity that you guys do?

LB: We do apple picking every year, which is always really cute in the fall. 

A: Now that we’re into April, we’re nearing the start of the postseason. How does it feel to be coming up on that period of the year?

LB: Just more competition, more games, and more fun to be had, and I want to win a championship, and so does my team, so hopefully we do. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu.