Three-time America East All-Conference forward Liz Wood and Anna Heise were University of Maine basketball teammates and now they will be teammates in Heise’s native country of Germany.
Wood, a finalist for America East Woman of the Year this past season, has signed a pro contract to play with Heise at Wasserburg next season.
“I’m really excited,” Wood said Tuesday. “This past season, I started to realize I had the talent to play overseas and if you received an opportunity and don’t take it, you’d regret it for the rest of your life.
“So I went through the normal steps, got an agent and the team is the same one that was interested in Anna,” said Wood.
She signed a one-year contract but preferred not to discuss the financial terms. She did say the team will supply her with an apartment and a car.
“I’ll be getting paid to play a sport I love. What’s not to be happy about?” said Wood, who will leave at the end of August, since the season starts Sept. 1.
Wood guided the Black Bears to a 26-9 record this past season as she led the team in rebounds (7.4 per game), steals (2.4) and in blocked shots with 15. She was also second in scoring (9.4 points per game), assists (2.8), field goals made (126) and minutes played (32.7 per game).
She finished a terrific four-year career ranked sixth in scoring (1,462), sixth in rebounding (902) and eighth in assists (363).
Playing with Heise, a 6-foot-3 center, will be a special treat for Wood after they spent four seasons together at Maine.
“We’re really close and it’s pretty cool that we’ll get to play together again,” Wood said. “It’s a great opportunity and to have her with me is a bonus. It’s going to be fun.”
Wood said she visited Heise last summer. Heise is from Halle, which is 302 miles north of Wasserburg, and Heise spent Christmas with Wood at her home in Catlett, Virginia.
“I loved Germany so I’ve decided to go back,” said Wood, who noted that her new coach had asked Heise about her.
Wood said she had other options but preferred to play in Germany with Heise, whose best season at Maine was in 2014-15 when she averaged 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The 5-10 Wood said the Maine women’s basketball team’s trip to Italy last May got her thinking about playing basketball in Europe.
“Being able to experience different cultures is exciting. So when we have a weekend off, I’ll hop on a train and visit the sites,” she said.
Wood has been told that she will be used in the role of small forward for Wasserburg, “so I’ve got to focus more on my outside shooting. The three-point line is further in Europe.”
She said even though she was more of a power forward at Maine, she handled the ball a lot in Maine’s offense so she developed a “lot of guard skills.”
Maine coach Richard Barron said he is “very excited Liz and Anna will remain teammates and that Liz will have the opportunity to live and work in another country.
“I’m sure that she will enjoy playing and traveling for a year or two before coming back to medical school. It will be a great experience for her,” Barron said.