Washington and Lee’s star basketball player, Mary Schleusner, ’26, broke the all-time rebounding and double-doubles records in Division III women’s basketball.
The rebounding record fell in the Generals’ 63-57 win over Bridgewater College on Jan. 21, when Schleusner reached 1,713 career rebounds. Denison University’s Jordan Holmes previously held the record with 1,711 career rebounds.
Schleusner said the record wasn’t on her radar until last year, but it still came as a surprise.
“To be able to break the rebounding record as early as I did — we’re only halfway through the senior season — I definitely did not expect for it to happen like this,” she said.
One week later, Schleusner claimed the double-doubles record with 84 in Washington and Lee’s 69-47 win over Roanoke College on Jan. 28. The previous record was shared by Swarthmore College’s Kathryn Stockbower and Randolph-Macon College’s Kelly Williams, each with 83 double-doubles.
Schleusner said she is still struggling to find the words to explain how she feels.
“I haven’t really been able to put the records into perspective for myself,” she said. “We had a call with one of the Division III writers in the nation. He asked me how it felt, and I really had no words for him.”
For both games, Schleusner’s friends and teammates were in attendance to support her. They also made banners for her as she broke both records.
“These records don’t mean anything to me without them. I just wish the world — and they — could know this wouldn’t be possible without them,” Schleusner said. “The records are awesome, but being able to do it alongside them is the much more special part to me.”
The records come during a season of historic success for the women’s basketball team. The Generals are off to a 19-0 start and are ranked fifth in the most recent D3hoops.com Top 25. Schleusner believes the success stems from her teammates committing to one another and the program.
“You try not to take it for granted, even though time is flying by,” she said. “But just being with each other, I think we recognize how lucky of a situation we are in by buying into that,” she said.
With her basketball career at Washington and Lee nearing its end, Schleusner said she hopes she isn’t remembered for records or on-court ability but for what she did off the court.
“I hope I get remembered for being a good teammate, but above all else, I am really just another step in the journey that is this program,” Schleusner said. “I think my biggest goal is that if I can come back in 10 years and they’re sitting at No. 1, constantly ranked, or if I can come back in 10 years and everybody on the team loves it as much as I do, that would be a win in my book.”
Schleusner currently has 2,220 career points and 1,777 career rebounds, meaning she could top 2,000 in both categories. She would become only the second NCAA women’s basketball player across all divisions to reach that milestone, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris.
Schleusner said she is keeping the option to continue playing basketball beyond Washington and Lee open.
“I am definitely looking at options to continue playing after,” she said. “I don’t know where that’ll be, when that’ll be or how that will be yet, but it’s not out of the cards.
