Anna DeWolfe believes that it’s better to give than receive.

DeWolfe, the Greely High basketball standout who will take her show to Fordham University in New York City next season, learned from her idols. She has paid it forward, inspiring countless younger girls while cementing her legacy as one of the finest players to ever emerge from the state.

DeWolfe, an unstoppable point guard who turned heads with her play all over the floor, led the Rangers to consecutive Class A state titles, averaging 27 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 steals last winter before being named Miss Maine Basketball in March.

In light of her accomplishments, Anna DeWolfe is our choice as the Varsity Maine Female Athlete of the Year.

DeWolfe was in fourth grade when Allie Clement was a freshman at McAuley High School. The next year, Ashley Storey began playing at Greely. Both made a huge impact on the budding star.

“It’s important to have role models like them,” DeWolfe said. “I loved to watch them play and I lived for the McAuley summer camps.”

DeWolfe parlayed that inspiration into a high school career in which she scored 1,948 points (she would have easily eclipsed 2,000 were it not for a couple nagging ankle maladies) and helped the Rangers win 78 of 86 games, including the last 38 in succession.

“I loved having an opportunity to put on a (Greely) uniform and wear it with pride,” said DeWolfe, who also played three years of soccer for the Rangers. “I loved playing for my community, my friends and my family.”

Along the way, DeWolfe came full circle, evolving from a younger player looking up to older stars, to becoming the star that girls in Cumberland and North Yarmouth wanted to emulate.

“Anna’s basketball exploits go without saying, but what transcends it is the young woman she’s become,” said Peter Bingham, Cumberland’s recreation director. “Anna is literally the Pied Piper of basketball in the community. She’s everything you want in a role model.”

In the process of leading Greely to another title this winter, DeWolfe coached a youth team of third- and fourth-graders, overseeing practice once a week and games on Saturdays.

All parties involved got the most out of the experience.

“My dad (Frank DeWolfe) says that little eyes are always on you and I wanted to be a good role model for the younger girls,” she said.

“The girls on (Anna’s) team acted like they died and went to heaven,” Bingham said.

Greely High graduates, in full garb, annually march through Cumberland’s Wilson Elementary School on graduation day. DeWolfe got quite the reaction when she did so last month.

“When I walked through the elementary school, I was in tears because so many girls were screaming, ‘Anna! Anna!'” she said.

Those who watched her play will never forget her joy and skill. Those seeking someone to emulate won’t regret idolizing the player who set the bar so high for four years.

“It’s not just Anna the player, and she did something every day I’ve never seen before so it’s always exciting and fun, but she’s such a kind person, a good soul,” said Greely Coach Todd Flaherty. “It’s been a pleasure to be around her.”