By Natalie Gussow and Madison Kraft
For No. 20 Maryland women’s basketball, head coach Brenda Frese’s 25th season with the program brings some changes while keeping the program’s standard constant.
Last season’s round-of-32 loss to North Carolina was the second time in three seasons that the Terps failed to make the Sweet 16 – something they’ve done 12 times in Frese’s tenure.
While the season wasn’t considered a failure, Frese retooled her roster, adding six new players – two transfers and four freshmen.
With key players like Oluchi Okananwa and Addi Mack returned, Maryland had one other key addition. Neither a freshman nor a transfer portal.
Bri McDaniel hadn’t played a game in over 640 days, due to a torn ACL, before taking on Virginia Tech in an exhibition. She missed over a season-and-a-half of basketball. She now returns with a jolt and something to prove.
When on the court, McDaniel was a tenacious tone setter who was effective in all facets of the game. But now she’s a leader and alongside Okananwa, the Terps’ success revolves around her.
Maryland’s top transfer addition will also have a major impact. Nunu Agara, from Stanford, is making herself known on this young Maryland team after a huge performance in its last exhibition match against North Carolina.
She averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last season with Stanford.
“She just gives us that big strong presence inside, and you know she’s going to shoulder a lot this year. I mean she’s going to have to be on the floor for us,” Frese said. “She’s put herself in that. She’s in great shape, her experience factor, but she just brings so much by how hard she plays.”
The Terps’ other key transfer was junior guard Chloe Sotell from Missouri. She will bring effective 3-point shooting to a program that lacked success beyond the arc last season.
Frese said upperclassmen and returning members of the team are key players and will have to “shoulder the load” for the team this season.
The Terps key returners from last season alongside Okananwa include Addi Mack, Rainey Welson and Marya Boiko. Lea Bartelme got injured early on last season, but will also be a key returning force at guard.
There are big shoes to fill after last season with the Terps losing 5 players to the transfer portal.
Most of those shoes have been filled by freshmen.
Trinity Jones had 9.4 rebounds and three assists in the exhibition game against North Carolina on Oct. 24, stats that Frese said show how she will help the team in any way she can.
“Those are going to be good things for us when you have a freshman with that kind of motor and just wants to be on the court and help her team win,” Frese said after winning the exhibition game against North Carolina.
The team welcomed star-studded freshmen, including two All-Americans with Jordyn Jackson and Jones, Great Britain U18 team member Eva-Grace Yebila and nationally ranked Oumou “Mimi” Thiero.
“I liked that our freshmen moved the needle from the first exhibition game to the second game; they weren’t as nervous because we’re going to be kind of working through those nerves all the time,” Frese said.
After receiving 222 votes in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, Maryland will start its season ranked No. 20 in the country; its 17th consecutive season ranked start.
Their season will begin with a running start, facing No.1 South Carolina at the Adidas Arena in Paris on Nov. 2.
Looking ahead, Frese said the team will continue fine-tuning the team’s chemistry, defense and assist-to-turnover ratio.
“That chemistry takes time, but at least if they’re intentional about playing the right way, good things will take place,” Frese said. “Game to game, you’re just trying to figure out what you need to do to be able to come out on top.”
