Colorado junior Maeve McErlane during women’s basketball practice at the CU Events Center on July 16, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
On the court this summer with the Colorado women’s basketball team, Maeve McErlane hasn’t been perfect, yet after missing the entire 2024-25 season with an injury, she’s not concerned with a hiccup now and then.
“It feels really, really good to be out on the court and working on my game, even making mistakes, but then learning from them,” McErlane said. “It feels amazing.”
One of 10 newcomers – including five transfers – to CU, McErlane spent the past three seasons at DePaul, but hasn’t played in over a year. A 5-foot-10 guard from Philadelphia, she sat out last year with a torn labrum in her hip.
Now with a new team in a new city, McErlane feels like she has a new body.
“Honestly, my body has felt the best it’s felt in a really long time,” she said. “Right now, it’s just maintaining that and doing what I need to do to keep myself on the court.”
When on the court, McErlane could help the Buffs in a lot of ways, including with her leadership. During the 2023-24 season, McErlane played in 31 games with 25 starts. She averaged 4.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Blue Demons, but her impact could go beyond numbers.
“When we were in our closing meeting with her during her recruiting visit,” CU head coach JR Payne said, “I said, ‘I’ve never been to your practice, obviously, but I could guarantee you’re one of the loudest kids in the gym every day.’ And she was like, ‘Everyday, coach.’ So I think she has tremendous leadership potential.
“It’ll be the first time, maybe in her college career, that she’s actually been healthy. She shoots the ball really well and she’s played point guard. She’ll probably play more wing for us … but she shoots it well, she’s very unselfish, super hard worker. I think she’ll be a kid that is just going to make the right plays.”
McErlane, who also missed games during her freshman year at DePaul, believes she has the potential to make a lot of plays now that she’s feeling healthy.
“I feel like I have not even reached my full potential, or I guess you could say I haven’t even peaked yet as a basketball player, as a leader and whatnot,” she said.
“The resources that we do have here at Colorado are going to allow me to keep my body as healthy as possible. And, everyone is just feeding into making sure that each and every player on this team has the resources that they need to be able to make sure that they keep themselves on the court. So with all those resources, I feel like this year will truly be like my first true year of college basketball.”
She’s also eager for a new adventure at CU. After growing up outside of Philadelphia and spending the last three years in Chicago, McErlane has never been anywhere like Boulder.
“Mountains are very new to me,” she said.
It hasn’t taken her long to feel comfortable in Boulder and at CU, however.
“I’m so excited. I feel like this is a place where, so far … I already feel so loved,” she said. “I feel like this coaching staff and the people I’m surrounded by really are pushing myself to be the best version of myself, and I’m just so excited.
“I would call it just a new chapter in my book that I am so excited to read once it’s over.”
Originally Published: July 27, 2025 at 9:21 AM MDT