"The Goals Never Change"

Maryland women’s basketball finished its 2023-24 with yet another winning season under Hall of Fame head coach Brenda Frese. 

The Terps went 19-14 overall, making a run to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals as a No. 8 seed and extending their NCAA Tournament bid streak to 13 consecutive appearances. However, Frese was the first to recognize the product wasn't up to the standard fans have come to appreciate.  

The team finished with its lowest winning percentage in over two decades since Frese first took over the program. Injuries played a significant factor, but Frese sought to address several areas of roster construction in preparation for the 2024-25 season. Utilizing the transfer portal and hitting the recruiting trail, Frese bolstered Maryland's roster with one of her largest groups of newcomers as a head coach. 

Frese added 10 newcomers to Maryland’s 15-woman roster. She says her revamped roster addressed vital areas of importance, such as depth, size, speed, rebounding, defense and 3-point shooting. On Oct. 2, she spoke about Maryland’s roster construction and the importance of prioritizing a challenging non-conference slate, among other significant changes to the college basketball landscape, at the 2024 Big Ten Basketball Media Days in Rosemont, Illinois, on Oct. 2.  

“It was definitely exhausting but well worth it when you talk about the talent that we were able to get,” Frese said. “Kudos to our staff. I thought they worked really hard, and I feel like we addressed every single need that we needed to get in the portal.”

“We’re going to be really fast. I love getting up and down the floor and being able to push the Maryland tempo that we want to play at. We're going to be able to send waves.”

Seven of the student-athletes that Frese landed, either through the transfer route or via an incoming freshman, were above 6-feet tall — addressing size. The student-athletes include Amari DeBerry (6-foot-6), Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu (6-foot-3), Christina Dalce (6-foot-2),  Saylor Poffenbarger (6-foot-2), Ava McKennie (6-foot-2) and Kaylene Smikle (6-foot). 

Dalce comes to College Park after being named 2024 Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Big East Honorable Mention at Villanova. Poffenbarger joins the Terps after averaging a double-double and breaking Arkansas’ single-season record for defensive rebounds last season. The duo fills Maryland’s needs for defense and rebounding. 

Others, such as VCU's reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Sarah Te-Biasu, and Rutgers's All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, Smikle, provide elite-level scoring ability. Both averaged over 16 points per game last season while shooting over 35% from three for their careers. 

“I think we have a really special group coming in, and also everyone is bringing so much to the table, whether it's shooting, whether it's just driving or rebounding,” Dalce said. “I'm really excited to show the nation what we have in store because I think a lot of people are really doubting us. … We have too much to not show.” 

Sellers also described Maryland’s incoming freshman class as one of the best she’s been around. She and Dalce mentioned their ability to pick up things quickly as a significant asset.   

“I think their ability to pick up on things so fast [stands out],” Sellers said. “We're really versatile. I think they do a really good job of just being freshmen and learning.”

The Terps brought back just five players from their roster in 2023-24, including Shyanne Sellers, Bri McDaniel and Allie Kubek. However, the trio returns with tremendous success. Sellers is coming off a First Team All-Big Ten selection — her second time achieving the feat. She was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team ahead of her senior campaign and will continue leading the Terps from the point. 

McDaniel and Kubek are two other returning impact players for Maryland. McDaniel earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors for her breakout 2023-34 season. Kubek ended last season on a high note, scoring a career-high 29 points on 7-of-8 shooting from beyond the 3-point line in Maryland’s NCAA Tournament First Round matchup against Iowa State. 

Sellers, McDaniel and Kubek returning as upperclassmen allow the Terps to have established leaders already. 

“They've been here, so they know what our goals, what our values are, what we want our locker room to be like and what that effort looks like when you're in practice,” Frese said. “They have that advantage. I think that's the thing, you want to ensure that they're continuing to uphold that standard and your values.”

Meshing with a large group of newcomers could be challenging, but each addition boasts many years of experience competing and playing within a team at the collegiate level. The team’s summer trip to Croatia also contributed to building camaraderie, giving the Terps 10 extra practices and allowing them to play two games together. 

“The personalities on this team are amazing,” Sellers said. “I tell everybody that the moment we met, I felt like we knew everybody from day one, we just clicked. And honestly, it's just amazing to see. Our chemistry on the court has come along real well.” 

Expanding the Big Ten Conference with the additions of UCLA, Oregon, USC and Washington was a central talking point for each team in attendance. However, Frese believes Maryland is prepared to embrace the new and improved competition. The Terps have historically played a more challenging non-conference schedule to prepare for conference play. That model remains the same ahead of the 2024-25 season. Maryland plays talented out-of-conference teams such as Duke, Syracuse and Texas.

The Big Ten’s head coach and media panels predicted the Terrapins to finish fourth in the conference. Coach Frese and her revamped roster are approaching the upcoming season like any other, primed to continue their winning ways. 

“The goals never change,” Frese said. “Heading into this season, it was addressing the recruiting needs and filling our voids and holes. All indications right now show that we've addressed that, and now we've put another challenging schedule from non-conference to now, looking at what Big Ten Conference play will be like. We're excited to see what it looks like as we move ahead to the season.”