Contributions from Little East Conference
 
GORHAM, Maine – The 1997-98 University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's basketball team will be enshrined into the Little East Conference (LEC) Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2026. The team posted an overall record of 29-3 on its way to winning the Little East Conference regular season and tournament championships, and making a run to the 1998 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament Final. They are the fourth the third University of Southern Maine team to be inducted into the LEC Hall of Fame, joining the 1987-88 women's basketball team, the 1988-89 men's basketball team and the 1997 baseball team.
 
The Little East Conference is inducting nine individuals and one team as part of its 2026 Hall of Fame class. Members are nominated by their alma maters and voted upon by the league's nine Athletic Directors, and includes individuals representing each Little East institution. Former USM men's track & field standout Jamie Ruginski '25 and former USM women's volleyball standout Jess Williamson '18 are also part of this year's class. The University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics will honor the team at halftime of the women's basketball game on February 6 in Hill Gym.
 
Two members of team, Joanna Brown and Julie Plant, along with Head Coach Gary Fifield, were previously inducted into the LEC Hall of Fame as individuals. Fifield was part of the inaugural class in 2012, followed by Brown in 2013 and Plant in 2014.
 
The Huskies lost just two regular season games while going undefeated in LEC play. USM cruised to a 78-26 win over UMass Boston and a 51-38 victory over Eastern Connecticut to advance to the LEC Championship Tournament Final, where it defeated Western Connecticut by a final count of 61-51 to repeat as conference champion and punch its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
 
The Huskies opened their national tournament run with their second win over WestConn in as many games, 79-62 after earning an opening round bye. USM then downed Scranton (76-72) and Johns Hopkins (81-72) to head back to the Final Four, and defeated Mount Union (79-66) to advance to the national title game for the first time in program history. The Huskies came up just short of claiming the national championship, falling to Washington (Mo.) by a final score of 77-69.
 
Brown and Plant were named to the NCAA Division III Championship All-Tournament Team. Brown was additionally named a WBCA First Team All-American and Third Team D3Hoops.com All-American. She was named the 1997-98 LEC Player of the Year, the ECAC Player of the Year and NEWBA Player of the Year. Brown was one of three USM players named First Team All-LEC along with Tracy Libby and Plant. All three players, plus Mandy King, earned All-ECAC honors with Brown being named First Team All-ECAC, King earning Second Team All-ECAC honors and Libby and Plant each being named Third Team All-ECAC. All four are also members of the Husky Hall of Fame.