One of the very best basketball players in William Smith history, Marisa Vespa Hamlin ’08 was a dynamic guard, leading the Herons to three 20-win seasons. An efficient scorer and a deft passer, she is the only player in William Smith history to record both 1,000 career points and 500 career assists. Vespa Hamlin was a four-year starter, producing 1,157 points, 579 assists, 368 rebounds and 285 steals in 104 career games. She was a four-time All-Liberty League first team selection and a 2007-08 WBCA All-American.
Vespa Hamlin averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game during her debut season. She was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week five times on her way to earning the Liberty League Rookie of the Year Award. Vespa Hamlin scored a season-high 21 points against Nazareth and posted her first career double-double on 12 points and 10 rebounds in a home win over Union. Before taking to the hardwood, she also played in 16 matches for the Heron soccer team, posting a pair of assists, meriting the 2004-05 Stephanie Christie Award as William Smith Athletics’ Rookie of the Year.
As a sophomore, Vespa Hamlin again notched a season high of 21 points, this time in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Baldwin-Wallace, and dropped a second double-double on 18 points and 10 assists in a Liberty League semifinal win over Rensselaer. The following afternoon, Vespa Hamlin and the Herons won the Liberty League Championship with a smothering defensive effort against St. Lawrence.
During the 2006-07 season, Vespa Hamilton served up three double-doubles, posting 10 assists in a game four times and handing out a season-high 11 dimes in a win over Vassar. She finished that season 16th in the nation in assists per game, averaging 5.8 helpers per game. William Smith assuaged a semifinal exit from the Liberty League Tournament with wins over Utica, RPI and Brockport to capture the ECAC Upstate Tournament Championship.
Vespa Hamlin closed out her collegiate career in impressive fashion, averaging 12.5 points, 6.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals while leading the Herons to a 25-4 record and an appearance in the third round of the NCAA tournament. She ranked in the top 40 in the nation in assists per game (10th, 6.1), assist-to-turnover (23rd, 1.95) and steals per game (33rd, 3.3). Vespa Hamlin produced one of her most memorable performances in a home win over Union. On that Friday night in Geneva, she put up 10 shots and made all 10, draining a career-high seven 3-pointers. She was also perfect at the free throw line against the Dutchwomen, sinking all three of her freebies, finishing the game with a career-high 30 points. She capped her All-American season, averaging 20.7 points per game in three NCAA tournament contest.
During Vespa Hamlin’s career, William Smith basketball went 84-29 (.743), won three Liberty League regular season titles, captured two Liberty League Tournament Championships, appeared in three NCAA tournaments, advancing to the third round twice and won the 2007 ECAC Upstate Championship.
Vespa Hamlin earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2008. Following graduation, she played one season of professional basketball in Denmark. Vespa Hamlin earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from SUNY Upstate in 2013.
