Head coach Brenda Frese and No. 10 Maryland women’s basketball team spoke to the media on Thursday during their annual preseason media day.
Frese outlined the season to come, discussed changes made in the offseason and noted how the team will maintain the level of success it has experienced during Frese’s tenure.
The team had some holes to fill entering the offseason as three-time All-Big Ten player Shyanne Sellers entered the WNBA draft. Senior Bri McDaniel is still recovering from a torn ACL and could miss time.
To address these concerns, the team brought in Yarden Garzon from Indiana and Oluchi Okananwa from Duke.
Garzon, who was All-Big Ten last season, is a great 3-point shooter. She shot 40.7% from beyond the arc last season and provides size at the guard position. Okananwa was the ACC Tournament MVP last season and helped Duke reach the Elite Eight.
They additionally brought in five true freshmen, three of whom were from overseas, who all have impressive resumes.
“When we went in the portal, we felt we needed to get additional 3-point shooting as well as defensively athleticism,” Frese said. “I thought our staff nailed that with both Yarden and Oluchi.”
Frese noted that the Terps’ biggest opponent would be staying healthy. As mentioned previously, McDaniel is still recovering from her ACL tear from January.
The loss of McDaniel — the team’s best on-ball defender — significantly impacted last season. The Terps lost three in a row directly following the injury, and their overall performance dipped. Had she been healthy, Maryland may have found more success in both the Big Ten and the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re deep, we’re fast, we’re athletic, we can defend and we can score,” Frese said. “Our biggest opponent will be staying healthy. I think we saw that last year.”
McDaniel’s return provided details about her timetable, but she did say that she was ahead of schedule in her recovery.
“Like anything else that Bri’s ever done, she’s put her head down, not felt sorry for herself, and just has just worked and is ahead of schedule,” Frese said.
Not only will McDaniel miss time, but the team will also deal with some nagging injuries. With their success in recruitment and the transfer portal, the team has more depth this season. The blow that results from any potential injuries should be lessened, something the Terps lacked last season.
Between Frese and the players, though, there was a common word in every conversation: excitement. Everyone is excited for the season to get started and expects a fun, successful season.
“I’m super excited, honestly,” said freshman guard Addi Mack. “We’ve worked all summer, obviously, to be ready for this, but I think it will be a really telling game and just really fun to be a part of that environment.”
The team will get its first taste of action on Sunday when it heads to Greensboro to play the No. 9 North Carolina State in an exhibition.
Regular season play begins on Nov. 3 when they face Loyola Maryland at home in the Xfinity Center.
