Maxine Engel: A Leader on and off the Court
4/2/2025 9:59:00 AM | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON – Senior women's basketball forward Maxine Engel has been a member of the women's basketball team since 2021. Starting as a walk-on, she eventually earned a scholarship and became a team captain by the end of her college career.
Engel's role as a leader goes further than the team, though: She takes an active role in giving back to the DC community by volunteering for organizations that attempt to educate athletes like herself and give them a chance to give back to their peers.
Since 2022, Engel has been volunteering for Grassroots Health. The organization is a nonprofit founded by college athletes which aims to revitalize health education in schools around DC, using games and sports-based education programs.
Engel is also an advocate for Voice in Sport, whose mission is to increase visibility for female athletes and give them equal opportunity to participate in sports. The organization provides mentorship and other resources to those who join. Engel recently founded a Voice in Sport chapter in the GW Athletics Department.
Engel's volunteering experiences have given her valuable perspective, allowing her to see the impact she could have on the world.
"I was a volunteer starting my sophomore year, and then was an intern last summer. We go into DC middle schools, so I got to new areas of DC that I've never seen before and connect with communities that I usually wouldn't in my GW bubble. I could really see how my platform as a student athlete is appreciated and understanding the gratitude I need to have for my position and ability to play at this level."
As someone who loves to help others out, the importance of those who helped Engel throughout her journey at GW, basketball or otherwise, is not lost on her.
In fact, Engel's biggest piece of advice to her teammates and future members of GW athletics is to cherish the connections you make and those who are there for you along the way.
"I remember all the people the most. It's not the wins and the losses, it's my teammates and my athletic trainers and the admin and the people that helped me along the way. Your village, so to say."
Engel could have seen none of this coming when she was in high school. In her senior year, the COVID pandemic was in full swing, taking much of her remaining high school experience away from her. Basketball felt like the only thing that was left untouched.
As a result, basketball got less and less exciting for Engel as the year went on, to the point where she nearly quit the sport as a whole.
"COVID made it a very isolating year. We had a really good team my senior year, so we were serious about winning. We cut ourselves off from a lot of social experiences. I felt like I was missing out on a ton. My entire life felt like basketball at the time. I just didn't really think I wanted that going into my college experience."
However, Engel entered the realm of college basketball as a walk-on for the Revolutionaries, which allowed her to redefine her relationship with the sport. "Coming in here with no expectations and no pressures allowed me to just go to work and find my joy for basketball again."
Engel unexpectedly broke out as a major contributor in her first year. She played in 19 games and started in 11. She scored in double digits four times, most notably putting up 19 points in a game against St. Bonaventure. She also earned an Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award. Soon enough, Engel was both on scholarship and a team captain.
This past season, she played the most games and averaged the most minutes per game of any season in her career. She also set a new high for total points in a season, scoring 140 points across 28 games. She scored a season-high 18 points against Duquesne on January 11.
Although Engel says it wasn't an easy campaign, she saw a lot of resilience from her teammates along the way.
"I think we got mentally tougher. There were a lot of challenges along the way, but we were always able to find the joy in the game, and that's where we progressed. Coming back to each other, leaning on each other, finding the happiness and the energy throughout practice, and making sure that was always forefront."
Now, with her college basketball career having concluded, Engel is hoping to move in with friends, enter the workforce and perhaps apply to law school.
"My degree is in public health and business, so maybe some sort of health policy or health consulting, something in that realm, but it's up in the air right now. I just need to go to work and figure out the real world."
Though her time as a collegiate athlete has passed, Engel will look to continue working hard and giving back to the people around her in this new chapter of her life.
Engel's role as a leader goes further than the team, though: She takes an active role in giving back to the DC community by volunteering for organizations that attempt to educate athletes like herself and give them a chance to give back to their peers.
Since 2022, Engel has been volunteering for Grassroots Health. The organization is a nonprofit founded by college athletes which aims to revitalize health education in schools around DC, using games and sports-based education programs.
Engel is also an advocate for Voice in Sport, whose mission is to increase visibility for female athletes and give them equal opportunity to participate in sports. The organization provides mentorship and other resources to those who join. Engel recently founded a Voice in Sport chapter in the GW Athletics Department.
Engel's volunteering experiences have given her valuable perspective, allowing her to see the impact she could have on the world.
"I was a volunteer starting my sophomore year, and then was an intern last summer. We go into DC middle schools, so I got to new areas of DC that I've never seen before and connect with communities that I usually wouldn't in my GW bubble. I could really see how my platform as a student athlete is appreciated and understanding the gratitude I need to have for my position and ability to play at this level."
As someone who loves to help others out, the importance of those who helped Engel throughout her journey at GW, basketball or otherwise, is not lost on her.
In fact, Engel's biggest piece of advice to her teammates and future members of GW athletics is to cherish the connections you make and those who are there for you along the way.
"I remember all the people the most. It's not the wins and the losses, it's my teammates and my athletic trainers and the admin and the people that helped me along the way. Your village, so to say."
Engel could have seen none of this coming when she was in high school. In her senior year, the COVID pandemic was in full swing, taking much of her remaining high school experience away from her. Basketball felt like the only thing that was left untouched.
As a result, basketball got less and less exciting for Engel as the year went on, to the point where she nearly quit the sport as a whole.
"COVID made it a very isolating year. We had a really good team my senior year, so we were serious about winning. We cut ourselves off from a lot of social experiences. I felt like I was missing out on a ton. My entire life felt like basketball at the time. I just didn't really think I wanted that going into my college experience."
However, Engel entered the realm of college basketball as a walk-on for the Revolutionaries, which allowed her to redefine her relationship with the sport. "Coming in here with no expectations and no pressures allowed me to just go to work and find my joy for basketball again."
Engel unexpectedly broke out as a major contributor in her first year. She played in 19 games and started in 11. She scored in double digits four times, most notably putting up 19 points in a game against St. Bonaventure. She also earned an Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week award. Soon enough, Engel was both on scholarship and a team captain.
This past season, she played the most games and averaged the most minutes per game of any season in her career. She also set a new high for total points in a season, scoring 140 points across 28 games. She scored a season-high 18 points against Duquesne on January 11.
Although Engel says it wasn't an easy campaign, she saw a lot of resilience from her teammates along the way.
"I think we got mentally tougher. There were a lot of challenges along the way, but we were always able to find the joy in the game, and that's where we progressed. Coming back to each other, leaning on each other, finding the happiness and the energy throughout practice, and making sure that was always forefront."
Now, with her college basketball career having concluded, Engel is hoping to move in with friends, enter the workforce and perhaps apply to law school.
"My degree is in public health and business, so maybe some sort of health policy or health consulting, something in that realm, but it's up in the air right now. I just need to go to work and figure out the real world."
Though her time as a collegiate athlete has passed, Engel will look to continue working hard and giving back to the people around her in this new chapter of her life.
Players Mentioned
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