Celebrating 20 Years: Maryland Set To Honor 2005-06 National Champions

When the Terps take the court against Indiana on Jan. 4, they’ll be celebrating more than just their impressive start to the 2025-26 season. 

Maryland will host former Terps from the 2005-06 national championship squad as the program celebrates the 20th anniversary of reaching the pinnacle of women’s basketball. 

“It was such a monumental thing to bring a championship to the university and to help elevate the women's program to a place it had never been before,” Crystal Langhorne said. “It's been just really special to look back and realize as time has gone on how special that was.”

Maryland went 35-4 that season, boasting a 12-2 record in ACC play and six straight NCAA Tournament wins to capture the program’s first national title.

“That was the best month of all of our lives,” Shay Doron said. “We have this conversation often about how nothing compares to how amazing that feeling was. Some of us have had great things happen to us since then, and it’s all just second to that. It was just such a hard feat and we all felt like we really earned it.”

Maryland entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Albuquerque Regional and took down No. 15 Sacred Heart, No. 7 St. John’s, No. 3 Baylor, No. 5 Utah, No. 1 North Carolina and No. 1 Duke in a gauntlet that only a true champion could navigate. 

“I think what we were able to accomplish is incredible because we were all so young,” Marissa Coleman said. “We knew we were a great team, but I don't think we really understood what we could do. We all went to Maryland to make Maryland a powerhouse and to win a national championship. But to do it when we were all 18 or 19 years old, I think it made it even more special, just in the sense that we were such a young team and nobody really expected us to be there yet.”

Many members of the national championship team went on to have successful WNBA careers. Langhorne even won a pair of championships at the professional level, but she says nothing compared to cutting down the net in Boston.

“Winning my championship at Maryland was my greatest basketball achievement,” Crystal Langhorne said. “I was part of WNBA championships, but I feel like when I went to Maryland, we weren't a known program yet. When I went there, a lot of people told me I made a mistake and that I would never even get to a Final Four. So when we won the championship, it was one of my greatest basketball achievements, and it just helped solidify that I was able to win at different places throughout my career.”

Brenda Frese brought a title to College Park in just her fifth season at the helm. She had a roster full of young talent that all blossomed into superstars at the same time. 

“My time in Maryland in general set me up for success," Coleman said. “Playing under Coach B, she was a coach that knew how to push me and to get the best out of me and to challenge me. She had a vision and she made us all believe in that vision, and that was to make Maryland what it is today. She's still in all of our lives. She's been there for me in the best moments of my life and the worst moments of my life. She's just always been one of those constants.”

Another constant talking point with every player when reminiscing about their title run was the chemistry and sisterhood the roster shared.

“I think what I'm most thankful for from that time is that we're all still very close friends,” Coleman said. “I don’t want to say we’ve stayed in contact because that doesn't even do it justice. We're family. We're friends. That's the most memorable thing for me from that season. For me, it's the relationships that were formed. And then, being able to win a national championship, it's just one of those feelings you never forget.”

They fought through extreme adversity. A heartbreaking loss in the ACC Championship only fueled their fire for the NCAA Tournament and nothing, not even sickness, could keep them from destiny.

“I remember how close our team was,” Langhorne said. “From the staff to the players, we really got along. Throughout that year, we really grew as a unit. During our championship run, there were times where people were sick and they had the flu or food poisoning and we fought through that. There were just so many things that our team did, and we were just so close as a unit.”

Maryland reached the peak of college basketball for the first time and the program’s been flourishing since. Many deep tournament runs and ranked teams have followed the path the 2006-07 team paved, something that historic team cherishes. 

“When I came to Maryland, we weren’t great,” Doron said. “And we grew it into something very quickly. That was an amazing time, but to see Maryland continue to be a top-20 program every year since we left is an incredible legacy to leave. We felt like we had a big part in bringing Maryland to the national stage and that’s something we’re all super proud of.”

Doron was one of several players that played professionally, both in the WNBA and internationally, but can’t recall a better time than when they were queens of the college basketball world. 

“In terms of the highlights of my career and the things that I’m proud of, it was the top of them all,” Doron said. “Plenty of players go on to have amazing careers without winning championships and it sucks. It’s the worst. We play to win, so you’ll always remember being a part of the winning.”

The Terps went 21-1 at home en route to their championship. Now, they’ll return to XFINITY Center in early January to relive the glory that the fans in College Park got to witness two decades ago.

“I'm also excited,” Laura Harper said. “It's kind of surreal. You never think that a decision like choosing to play for Brenda Frese and going to Maryland could have been one of, if not the, best decision of my life. I mean that wholeheartedly. For me, it was a comeback season, coming off of an achilles tear. It taught me what resilience is and the importance of a team, and a family, and camaraderie, and a vision.”

Harper is now the head coach at Towson. She already made one trip to XFINITY Center this season when her Tigers faced the Terps, and she’ll be back again to celebrate the team that shaped her future. 

“We were special,” Harper said. “Brenda had a specific and separate vision for every individual player that really came together in a collective goal, and we all felt important, and we all felt valued, and we all felt extremely special. She just had a way to bring us together. I don't remember her ever having a bad day. Now being in a similar role, I try to emulate that spirit that she had for us in how I lead my players.”

It’s high praise for Frese, who holds that championship team in a special regard. She makes time to connect with every one of her former players, but anticipates the chance to honor the champions with excitement. 

“I’m in contact with all of them,” Frese said. “All of our players, when they come through, it’s a team that will always be remembered and I’m excited for them to be celebrated. They were the first group to be able to do it here. We have a lot of people coming back and it’ll be an awesome game to be able to honor them.”

The national championship team dominated from tipoff until the final horn, but something extra seemed to come out when extra time was needed. 

“I remember all the overtime games that we played throughout the year and the challenges we faced,” Langhorne said. “We had a Thanksgiving tournament in the Virgin Islands and we were still kind of on the rise and realizing how good we were. In that tournament we realized we can compete with anybody.”

Maryland won six games in overtime in that historic season and never lost in bonus time. The Terps snagged key overtime wins in the NCAA Tournament. One came over No. 5 Utah and another in the National Championship, where the Terps snared a 78-75 overtime win over No. 1 Duke. 

“Once you win a couple overtime games, it's ‘here’s overtime again. Here we go.’,” Harper said. “But to see success in overtime again and again, that comes from playing for a visionary in Brenda and what that really does for your confidence. She’s been successful everywhere she's been. She instilled that confidence in us, knowing that we too could follow her lead.”

That year cemented the “overtime is our time” motto that still holds true today. This year’s roster was reminded of the program’s dominance in overtime in its thrilling 100-99 double-overtime victory over Minnesota in early December. 

“They’ve heard a lot about the 2005-06 team,” Frese said. “They understand how unselfish that team was and the chemistry they had. It’s very similar to how this current team is, so it’ll be great for them to be able to witness it.”

The championship team was the blueprint for success and the reminder of what relentless dedication and sisterhood can achieve.