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The second line of her Florida State bio says it all, “one of the greatest players in Seminole history.” Mara Freshour of Nashville, Indiana, is one of the greatest women’s basketball players in the history of Florida State University. Her name will surely be inducted someday into the FSU Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Paul Azinger, Deion Sanders, and Sam Cassell. Statistically, she is No. 1 all time at FSU with 131 games played in her career. She is also second all time in three-pointers made, and one of only two Seminoles ever to reach the NCAA tournament four straight times.

Florida State plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference with teams like Duke, North Carolina, and Maryland. It is perhaps the most physical conference in college basketball, In 2008-09, Florida State and Maryland shared the conference crown at 12-2. Freshour’s 21 points and eight rebounds were key figures in the Seminole’s win over #3 Duke. But Mara doesn’t overwhelm you with her physique. Her 6’1” frame is somewhat sleek, actually. You can almost imagine her racing down the floor to hit a key three pointer, or somehow squeezing in amongst the big bodies to pull down a rebound.

What does impress is her attitude. She’s confident without being cocky. She seems comfortable being on the big stage, yet willing to admit to a little fright at playing at the pro level. She is also open about her faith. On her walls in Tallahassee are two phrases from the Bible that guide Mara’s life. One says, “Faith without works is dead.” The other says, “Not my will but thy will.”

Both seem hopelessly out of place in the world of sports today. With players who are barely teens sometimes having “handlers” guide their destiny, it is indeed refreshing to hear an athlete talk about her future as being in the Lord’s hands. “We’re just selfish and we do things for us,” she says. “I don’t always pray about things like I should. I had (the sayings) up there as a constant reminder that whatever is happening, its because he wants it to happen.”

Mara knows that even when her faith is strong, sometimes things don’t go right. On Dec. 28, 1999, Mara lost her sister Whitney in an auto accident in Brown Co. Her sister remains her inspiration. The past four years, she has marked “WLF 23” on her shoes as a reminder that the real world is never far away. WLF was her big sister’s initials. 23 was Mara’s high school number, and her sister was born on the 23rd. “She’s a big sister, says Mara, “and she was the one that was supposed to teach me this, and teach me that, and I’ve really missed that.”

Now Mara moves on to the pros. The Seattle Storm of the WNBA recently drafted her in the third round. Since they play in the summer, there will be little time for preparation. She remains unsure of what it will take to succeed in a world where basketball is a business. It is a far cry from what a little red headed girl might have imagined playing on a gravel driveway in Brown County with her brothers. But she knows she has a chance. She may also continue her career in the fall overseas. The future is a mystery for Mara, but she seems ready to go as if walking on the floor in front of thousands to play UConn or North Carolina. And the comfort comes not from knowing what the future holds, but from knowing who holds the future.

You can read Mara's profile on the Florida State University Athletics SEMINOLES.COM website.

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