In Her Own Words: Katie Benzan | Dear Basketball

As the 2022 Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament approaches, graduate student Katie Benzan penned the letter below describing what the 2021-22 season has meant to her and what it means to be a part of the Terrapin family.

Dear Basketball, 

The 2021-2022 season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, full of adversity and bumps in the road. Everyone came into this season, expecting last season’s success to continue. But, the only consistency is that this season lacked consistency. Players were constantly in and out of the rotation due to illness and injury, thus, it was difficult to build a rhythm on the court. 

First, Diamond Miller started the season out with a knee injury and was unable to play consistently until December. Second, Faith Masonius and I missed the Bahamas Thanksgiving trip, which included two top-10 matchups, due to illness. We were both looking forward to that trip and the memories made on and off the court. Then, the journey hardened even more so, when Faith tore her ACL right after Christmas at Indiana. Thirdly, Ashley Owusu suffered a severe ankle sprain at Michigan State that caused her to miss a significant number of games. Then, illness further delayed her return to the court. Finally, Tai Kozlova returned to her home country to see her family in advance of an anticipated military conflict. It felt as though we would survive one obstacle, only for another setback to emerge. Through it all, we stuck together and kept fighting.

In addition to the erratic roster, our coaches devised one of the toughest schedules in the country. After last year’s loss to Texas in the Sweet Sixteen, we didn’t want any surprises in March. We played the sixth toughest schedule in the country and never backed down, no matter the circumstances or how depleted our lineup was. Over the course of the season, we beat No. 4 Baylor in front of an electric Terp Nation - the best fans in the country. We took on No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 NC State in the Bahamas without three key players. We played a close game at No. 1 South Carolina before a rowdy, sold-out crowd. We beat Miami (Fl) and Villanova, both of which secured big wins against Louisville and UConn, respectively, later in the year. 

Then, the Big Ten was the toughest competition to date. At least five teams are nationally ranked and have been all season long. Five teams finished within the top 15 nationally: Iowa at No. 8, Indiana at No. 11, Michigan at No. 12, Ohio State at No. 14, and us at No. 13. Early in January, we stumbled in overtime at Indiana, then played Michigan the same day Coach B lost her dad. Without our fearless leader in Coach B, we suffered yet another tough loss at Ohio State. Losing three conference games was something none of us were used to. All of our losses were to ranked teams. We had to dig deep individually and collectively to revitalize our season. The wins at home over Ohio State and Indiana were electrifying - pulling out hard-fought wins against great teams.

As we embark on the NCAA Tournament, we feel prepared and we feel motivated. We’re excited for the challenge. We’ve won eight of our last 10 games, three over ranked teams. We’ve ridden the highs and the lows and I can’t help but feel like now our time is here. 

For me personally, it’s been quite a five-year journey. You can definitely say I took advantage of my college years! A bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree soon, many wins and so many memories. I couldn’t be more grateful for the experiences I had playing at an Ivy League school and then with the best teammates and coaches in the country.

We are projected to host the two first-round games in XFINITY Center, and I can’t imagine a better way to start this last leg of our journey. Our sixth man - Terp Nation - is our secret weapon. The COVID-19 season last year was quiet without support that was loving, constant and inspiring. You really do make a difference. 

Selection Sunday will bear answers to our trip to the Final Four in Minneapolis. Regardless of how the bracket unfolds, we’re more than determined to thwart any opponent in our path. Our sights are set on one last trophy. Six games, three cities and three weekends until we hoist that National Championship trophy up in the air. The loss in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament was disappointing, to say the least. However, my teammates and I are persevering, strong-willed and strong-minded women. That loss serves as fuel to our fire, and we are hungry as ever.

Our coaches ensured we were battle-tested, so by the time March came around we were ready. There’s no one more ready than us. We’ve seen it all from injuries, illness and down to personal tragedy. 

Our Mi22ion continues…

Sincerely, 

Katie Benzan
Maryland Women’s Basketball #11