LA Maples President of Basketball Operations and head coach Jim Seavey, background, watches a drill last week during practice at the Lewiston Armory. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The Lewiston Armory will be home to a new basketball team and a new style of basketball this season.

The LA Maples, Lewiston-Auburn’s semipro women’s basketball team made up of players with Maine ties, open their first season of Women’s American Basketball League play Sunday at the Armory.

The ball is still round and the hoops are still 10 feet of the ground. But the WABA plays with three unique rules that drastically change the style of play:

• Rule No. 1: Players cannot foul out.  

Players get six personal fouls, and every additional foul a player commits results in a free throw and possession to the other team.  

So, coaches must determine whether it is worth the risk to have a player with six fouls in the game.  

• Rule No. 2: Seven-second backcourt violation.  

The offense has only seven seconds to cross the half-court line with the ball, or else it will be a turnover.  

This differs from NCAA women’s college basketball and the WNBA, both of which have 10-second backcourt violations. 

LA Maples President of Basketball Operations and head coach Jim Seavey, background, watches a drill last week during practice at the Lewiston Armory. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

• Rule No. 3: If Team A turns the ball over in the backcourt and Team B scores off it, Team B is awarded an additional point. 

So, a layup or anything within the 3-point line is worth three points, and a 3-pointer is worth four.

This rule incentivizes teams to be overly aggressive in their pressing defense, because they have an opportunity to score an extra point if they cause a turnover. 

Furthermore, when combined with the seven-second backcourt violation, it becomes exceedingly difficult for the offense to advance the ball past half-court.

“They want to make it so the game is very fast,” Maples coach Jim Seavey said. “They’re trying to make it an exciting brand for the fans.” 

The pace of play — as a product of these unique rules — will be faster than other basketball leagues, which will presumably improve the spectator experience.

LA Maples President of Basketball Operations and head coach Jim Seavey outlines a drill last week during practice at the Lewiston Armory. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

This will require the Maples’ players to be in tip-top shape, which is a lot to ask from a group of players who all have day jobs. 

“We’re not a school team or a college team, where we’re practicing everyday,” Seavey said. “We’re practicing three times a week.” 

MAPLES’ STRATEGY 

The Maples, under the direction of head coach Jim Seavey, who last month referred to himself as an “old-school” coach, will look to play an inside-outside game.

“Our strength is our inside game with Kayla and Kaitlyn,” Seavey said. “They’re two of our strongest, if not the two strongest, players on our team.”

Kaitlyn Maithieu of the Lewiston-Auburn Maples puts up a shot June 19 during the team’s first preseason game, at the Lewiston Armory. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Kayla Vangelist and Kaitlyn Maithieu, standing at 6-foot and 6-foot-2, respectively, will be able to use their height and strength to attack opposing defenses. 

“I think that (the high-low action) be very effective against a lot of the other teams,” Vangelist said. “Hopefully we can make a dynamic duo down in the post.” 

Vangelist, who was named Miss Maine Basketball as Kayla Parker of Sanford in 2006, prefers to play with her back to the basket. Maithieu, meanwhile, can shoot it from the outside, which should open up the floor for Vangelist on the block. 

On the perimeter, the Maples have Edward Little High School graduate Grace Fontaine, who should return from her fractured wrist in two to three weeks. 

“Grace Fontaine, when she comes back, will probably be our most consistent perimeter threat,” Seavey said. “She can shoot it, she can handle the ball, and she has a very good basketball IQ.”  

IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE 

Without a true point guard, the Maples are forced to play a “point guard by committee,” according to Seavey.

Guards Allie Goodman and Marley Groat, both of Durham, will be tasked with handling the point guard duties, which is especially important in a league that features aggressive pressing defense. 

In their preseason game against the MT. Vernon Shamrocks, the Maples were taken aback by the level of physicality and aggressiveness. 

“The biggest shock to most of them when we played New York was how physical the game was,” Seavey said. “Even more so than college.”  

The Maples turned the ball over a lot in the backcourt, which has forced Seavey to emphasize breaking the press. 

“We’ve spent a lot of time the past week and a half on our press break,” Seavey said. 

The Maples will also look to employ a pressing strategy of their own. 

“I’m not sure whether we’re going to press man, or zone, but we’re looking into all of that,” Seavey said. 

The Maples will be tested in their opener Sunday at 2 p.m. against the New England Trailblazers, a team that has a handful of professional players on its roster.