It was a night to remember for Boothbay senior Tatum French as she scored 39 points, one of the top totals by a Lady Seahawk in a regular season game, according to BRHS Athletic Director Allan Crocker. Her dominant performance came against North Yarmouth Academy in front of the home crowd at Porter Memorial Gymnasium on Dec. 9, 2025. French showed her basketball mastery on the offensive and defensive ends by scoring, blocking shots, defending and rebounding in the 61-33 Seahawk victory.

But the night almost didn't happen. Until eighth grade, French was a swimmer. She joined the middle school basketball team in 2020 with mixed results. French wasn't sure she wanted to play in high school until a few fortunate events changed her mind. One was the success of her brother, Tyson French, on the high school team. Another was girls varsity coach Bruce Orne's encouragement. And the third was memories of Chloe Arsenault, the Lady Seahawks' captain who led the 2020 team to the regional championship game.

"That was the point that really motivated me," French said. "Watching Chloe leading the team in the Augusta Civic Center was the spark. It had been such a dream to play on that court. I'm happy, and excited and I just can't wait," she said in a pre-tournament interview. 

Feb. 16, French and the Lady Seahawks made their appearance in the tournament with a 61-37 loss to No. 2 Buckfield. French had a team-high 18 points. She had a slow start with almost as many first-half fouls (three) as points (four). "Oh, I was so nervous, but it was so exciting to be on the court," French said. "I needed a mental check, because I was so nervous. I settled down in the second half, and got into my groove." 

She was still developing her skills as a freshman, but her overall athleticism showed enough to crack the starting lineup. French was a four-year starter. Orne saw her play on the Boothbay Region Elementary School team coached by his wife, Allison Crocker. Despite French's limited basketball experience, Orne saw potential. "I saw her play quite a bit that season and I told her, she had unlimited potential as a player," Orne said. "I can't remember exactly what else I told her, but I was persistent."

She was on the team for four years. Orne was proud to have had her on the team. "She is relentless. Her hustle is very apparent, and I hope the one quality trait we take away from Tatum moving forward, is that grit, determination and toughness she has," he said.

Playing in a competitive championship environment wasn't new for French. As a two-time defensive most valuable player on the field hockey team, she was a leader. The Lady Seahawks finished No. 1 in the Class C South field hockey standings this past season.

Field hockey coach Jax Hepburn coached her for the past two years. She described French as a "worker" who improved each season. "She is a leader who coaches can depend on to uphold the values set in place and continue to motivate her teammates by doing everything with intention, whether it’s a workout or a new skill," Hepburn said. "Tatum was one of those players you can put up against the fastest, fittest, or most skilled player in our conference, and she’d hold her own with ease. Her sportsmanship, over the last two years, has been something that’s really become important to her. She is always picking other people up, and having a positive demeanor on and off the field/basketball court."

As a player, French appreciated the lessons taught by Hepburn. French credited Hepburn with altering the course of Boothbay field hockey fortunes. "Jax Hepburn has changed Boothbay field hockey," she said. "We struggled my junior year, but this year we played in the MVC (Mountain Valley Conference) championship game and finished No. 1 in the regular season. The program isn't the same one it was a couple years ago." 

French's playing days may be over in Boothbay, but her college career will soon start. She was accepted to Central Maine Community College's women's team in Auburn. The CMCC Mustangs are a perennial contender in the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association. In 2022, the Mustangs won their third national title in five years. 

French inquired about playing for the team during a 2025 summer high school tournament at Thomas College. Coach Andrew Morong spoke to the players during an intermission. He talked about CMCC's success and what attributes he looked for in a player. This all peaked French's interest.

Later in the summer, Morong attended Boothbay's Lobster Jam tournament. French had a strong performance against Spruce Mountain, a Class B MVC rival, in the round robin. " I had 18 versus Spruce Mountain which turned out to be kind of a big deal afterwards. I did a college tour in September, and he offered me a roster spot." 

French was a member of the Boothbay/Wiscasset track team, but won't participate this spring. She plans on playing summer basketball for an AAU Maine 18 and under team. "I won't turn 18 until this summer," she said. "So I'm playing basketball preparing for college."

She was named team MVP her junior year. She also made high honors last semester.

She will conclude her high school basketball career on Saturday, March 7. She was named a McDonald's All-Star. French will team up with other Maine Class C and D South All-Stars against Class C and D North All-Stars in the annual game played at Husson University in Bangor. 

So does the former youth swimmer have any regrets about changing sports? "None."