“The schedule isn’t for the weak.”
That’s what Maryland Women’s basketball head coach Brenda Frese said about the gauntlet of games that Maryland basketball faces this year. They face 12 top-25 opponents, including a formidable matchup against South Carolina in their home opener.
“Probably the hardest schedule we’ve ever faced,” Frese also remarked.
This will be Frese’s 21st season in College Park, where she has won a national championship and enjoyed enormous success. However, this year marks a new chapter and a new challenge for the program.
The Terps lost several key players this offseason, including starters from last year, forward Chloe Bibby and guard Katie Benzan to graduation. They also saw several players exit the program via transfer. Forward Angel Reese, who ESPN named as the 7th best player in college basketball this year, decided to take her talents to Baton Rouge and join the LSU Tigers. Guard Ashley Owusu, who ESPN had at 16 on their list, bolted to Blacksburg to join Virginia Tech. Mimi Collins also left for NC State.
In their wake, the Terps welcome nine new players this year; five transfers and four freshmen.
“Obviously, we’re putting a lot of different pieces together this season, which really has energized our staff,” Frese said. “Each and every practice is an opportunity as we’re learning a lot of new players just like all of you will be. It’s a great puzzle to be able to put together, and we’re looking forward to maximizing our roster.”
All five transfers added can score, as evidenced by each averaging at least nine points per game last year. The standout from this group is guard Abby Meyers. Meyers, a transfer from Princeton, was last year’s Ivy League player of the year. She has already shown in Maryland’s preseason games the ability to score in a variety of ways, including from three-point range. “I know I gotta be a knockdown shooter,” Meyers said.
Among the other transfers, guard Lavender Briggs averaged 21.8 points per game last year in SEC play for Florida. Frese described her as a “scoring machine.” Elisa Pinzan looks like she will be the team’s starting point guard. Frese praised her for her court vision. Forward Brinae Alexander, a transfer from Vanderbilt, brings versatility and toughness to the team. The team was dealt a blow when Towson transfer Allie Kubek suffered an ACL injury in the buildup to the year. Frese said that she was competing for a starting role to give the team more size and length before her injury.
The Terps are also welcoming in a top-ten recruiting class. The group includes guards Bri McDaniel, Gia Cooke, Ava Sciolla, and forward Mila Reynolds. McDaniel has looked sharp in their preseason games, especially on the defensive end. Frese said she thinks McDaniel is already one of their best defenders.
“My intensity is like a lion, just going out there and gettin’ it,” McDaniel said when asked about her mindset.
Gia Cooke showed the ability to run the offense effectively in the preseason games and will be an asset at the backup point guard spot.
Despite all the new faces, the team leader is still senior Diamond Miller. Miller was ranked 21st in that same ESPN ranking, and she figures to be one of the best players in the Big Ten. Miller will be the focal point for the offense this year, but her main focus is on winning.
“Points don’t really matter. Stats don’t really matter. As long as we win the game, then I’m happy,” she said.
The team returns three other players in Faith Masonius, Emma Chardon, and Shyanna Sellers.
“All of our returners have all come back better,” Frese said. Masonius is returning from an ACL injury. Frese called her the team’s “glue player.”
Sellers was last year’s Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year.
Maryland rolled through its preseason games, defeating two Division II opponents. However, Frese wants to keep expectations for the season tempered.
“It’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint,” Frese said.
The Terps begin their season on November 7th at George Mason. Then they take on #1 South Carolina.
“We will find out about ourselves really early,” Frese said.
