Maryland Athletics 2022 Hall of Fame Spotlight: Caitlyn McFadden Phipps

Caitlyn Phipps remembers doing her hair like Maryland women's lacrosse star Jen Adams when she was younger and then trying to replicate Adams' lacrosse moves in her backyard.

Living north of Baltimore in Lutherville and then moving up to Phoenix and attending Notre Dame Prep, she grew up watching players like Cathy Nelson, Quinn Carney, and Adams dominate for the Terrapins. Not only did she eventually join them in donning red, white, black, and gold — she is becoming forever immortalized as a Maryland great as she heads into the Hall of Fame this year.

"I still don't think I believe it," Phipps said. "I grew up a Maryland fan my entire life. I watched the women's lacrosse team when I was younger win seven national championships in a row."

Phipps, née Caitlyn McFadden, started in every game during her illustrious career at Maryland from 2007-10. She capped her stellar four years by leading Maryland to its 11th national championship in 2010. The two-way midfielder was named the most outstanding player of the tournament — and then took home college lacrosse's biggest honor, the coveted Tewaaraton Award. 

She compiled 110 assists over her career, which are tied with Carney for the fifth-most in school history. The best player in the game at her position during that time, Phipps was named National Midfielder of the Year in 2009 and 2010. At the end of those two seasons, she also earned the ACC Player of the Year award.

When she thinks about her success, there's no better place where she would have wanted to develop her game than at Maryland.

"I remember exactly where I was when the men's and women's basketball teams won national championships. Just the history of this program. I grew up in Maryland watching these teams and hoping that that was something that I could do," Phipps said. "When it actually became a reality, and I got to spend my four years of college at this university, I had the best four years of my life. The best academics, the best lacrosse team — ended my career with a championship, getting to play for the best coach of all time in Cathy Reese."

Her love for College Park was one she found on her own. While both her parents are from the Baltimore area, they left the Old Line State to play lacrosse in college — her father to William and Mary and her mother to Richmond. 

But there was always one particular school of which Caitlyn was a fan.

"They were really good," Phipps said. "They were my idols growing up. Being from Maryland, that's who you follow."

Phipps led the 2010 roster with 35 assists. In addition to winning the Tewaaraton, she also won the Honda Sports Award and was a three-time All-American.

Among the most decorated Terps ever, she attributes her success to the culture that her coach, who she grew up watching play, has instilled.

"The Tewaaraton is an incredible honor, but I think that award comes from having the best teams and the best coaches," Phipps said. "Our coaching staff, starting with Cathy, has created this culture at Maryland of excellence in everything that we do. So putting this amazing team together is really what made me not just a better lacrosse player, but a better person — someone with more confidence and leadership."

Just weeks after graduating and winning the 2010 championship, Phipps was hired by the University of Florida as an assistant coach. After spending two seasons with the Gators, she returned to College Park to join Reese's staff in August 2012.

"Everything I accomplished at Maryland led me to have such a great job at Florida right out of college," Phipps said. "It was great to experience something different and learn a lot being a coach when you first graduate. I still had so much support from my family, friends, and teammates — and ultimately led me to be able to come back to Maryland so quickly because of that experience."

Amanda Spinnenweber Regan was roommates with Phipps all four years of college. The Pasadena native and Chesapeake High School alumna vividly remembers facing her future roommate in club lacrosse.

"I hated her. Because I played against her in club lacrosse, and this girl could not do anything wrong," Regan said. "If there's ever someone I've looked up to who's the same age as me, it's Caitlyn."

The pair of roommates became the first junior captains in program history. But something always stood out about her — she was extremely humble.

So much so that when she had an induction ceremony in the Annapolis/Edgewater area that Regan attended, she didn't even find out through Phipps. Instead, Regan got word of the event through Phipps' now husband, Brian.

"She's very soft-spoken, well-worded. But you would never guess that she is who she is. Just an amazing person inside and out," Regan said. "A genius, essentially."

Brandi Jones Padilla played alongside Phipps in the midfield from 2008-11. She felt she was exceptionally knowledgeable about the game and thus always played it the right way.

"She was that lead-by-example person," Padilla said. "She didn't have to say a ton of super inspirational words to get you to follow her."

Cathy Reese feels the same way about her. She says she remembers thinking, "Holy moly, this girl is really something special," back when she was a freshman and was very impressed with her growth over those years — both as a player and a leader.

And she brought her back to College Park as soon as she could.

"I knew she was the one we needed to hire when that position opened," Reese said. "She has an understanding for the game with an unselfish mindset and knows what it takes to be successful."

As an assistant under Reese since 2012, she has helped lead the Terps to four national championships, eight Final Fours, and 14 conference championships. 

"The culture Cathy has created is something so special. Supporting female sports at Maryland is something we're so grateful for, and I think we have the best support in the country as far as that aspect goes," Phipps said. "But the culture here — having the best teammates who are there supporting you day in and day out — is what brought us to our success. And an award like being inducted into this Hall of Fame has all come from that."