WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary women's basketball team has announced the inaugural Tribe Women's Basketball L.A.B. (Life After Basketball) Partners program.

The L.A.B. Partners program teams up W&M women's basketball players with local female role-models and mentors.  The goal behind the partnership is to help prepare the student-athletes for "Life After Basketball" by building relationships with professional businesswomen in the Williamsburg area.

The Life After Basketball (LAB) Partners program sponsored by Tribe Coach Debbie Taylor pairs players with professional women from the community.   The fun and fascination began immediately Monday evening as our terrific group of young women student athletes and their mentors began forging new relationships.   All at the event agreed the caring, sharing, and learning started immediately. One mentor remarked, "the warmth and energy is already inspiring. I'm certain the program will be remarkable for each mentor and mentee. I'm thrilled to be involved."  Together, over the next six months, the pairs and the group will meet, collaborate, work community service projects, visit workplaces, participate in panel discussions and talk about a variety of work related topics.  The Tribe and their LAB Partners are off and running!

For more information on being a mentor contact assistant coach Beth Bradley at eabradley@wm.edu.

W&M gets the 2012-13 season underway on Friday, Nov.9, when it welcomes East Carolina to Kaplan Arena for a 5 p.m. tip-off.