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Women's Basketball

Frese Adds Oluchi Okananwa to Roster

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese officially signed 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year and 2025 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Oluchi Okananwa (Uh-loo-chee Uh-KAHN-Uh-Wa) to the roster for the 2025-26 season Friday. 

OLUCHI OKANANWA

Guard •  5-10
Junior
Worcester Academy (Duke)
Boston, Mass.
 
  • 2025 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
  • 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year and All-Freshman Team honoree
  • Averaged 10.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 2024-25 as she helped Duke to the ACC Tournament title and the Elite Eight
  • Averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 assists with 6 double-doubles in 71 games over 2 seasons at Duke
  • Named ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds while going 10-11 from outside the arc in the three-game run
  • Tied her career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in ACC Tournament championship game vs. NC State
  • Scored in double figures in 36 games over two seasons
  • Before Duke, was ranked No. 27 overall in the class of 2023 by espnW

Frese on Okananwa: "What a great day to be a Terp! The final piece to a very special team. Fans should be really excited about Oluchi. She's going to bring so much to our team and program.  Her IQ and athleticism are high level. She's a dynamic player who will bring qualities to our perimeter that any team would love to have.  She will thrive in our up-tempo style, because she can really get up and down the floor. She's a two-way player who will be hard to play against. We know, because we played against her last season. Even given all of her talent and abilities she's even a better person.  Her personality and humility will be something that everyone will be drawn to. We are thrilled to have Oluchi and her family and friends as part of our Maryland family."

Okananwa on Maryland: "I chose to commit and play for Maryland women's basketball because of the program's rich legacy, competitive spirit, and the incredible coaching staff that believed in me from the start. Coach Frese's passion for the game and her players is unmatched, and she creates a culture where accountability, growth, and family matter. Maryland felt like home—a place where I knew I could grow both as a player and as a person. The culture, the fans, and the commitment to excellence made it clear this was where I was meant to be."
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