COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland women's basketball head coach
Brenda Frese officially signed Marya Boiko (Maria BOY-ko) from Belarus to the roster for the 2025-26 season Friday.
Frese also announced the signing of Nicole Fritea, a 6-2 forward, from Romania Thursday.
"We've gone global in our hunt for talented basketball players who want to get a great education," Frese said. "I can't thank my staff enough for the time they've put in, as well as our contacts around the world who helped us get these done. We think we've added two young ladies with some size that can help us. We will have to be patient as understandably, both of them will need to get acclimated to a different country and a different language, but we're incredibly excited about their potential here."
MARYA BOIKO
Forward • 6-4
Freshman
Minsk, Belarus • MBA Moscow
- Russian Premier League DYUBL Champion (2023, 2024)
- MVP of the Russian U18 Championship Final Round (2023)
- Bronze medalist in Russian Premier League (2025)
- Bronze medalist in Russian Cup (2025)
- Recorded a triple-double in a key win
- 109 official games for MBA Moscow: 908 points, 693 rebounds, 162 assists, 125 steals, 84 blocks
- Represented Belarus at both senior and U20 national team level
Frese on Boiko: "From Minsk to Maryland, Marya is from Belarus. She's been playing in Russian leagues, where she's been a standout. Marya is 6-4 and a smart and mobile basketball player. She wants to play up-tempo, which is music to my ears. She's won multiple MVP awards in the leagues she's played in. She can do some of everything. I saw she had a game with 20 rebounds and another where she triple-doubled. From what we saw, she seems like a kind person who wants to help. She's interested in nutrition and what fuels athletes. That's one of my passions too, so maybe we'll help each other out with that."
Boiko on Maryland: "I chose Maryland because of the amazing coaching staff, the strong team culture, and the opportunity to grow both as a player and a person. I'm excited to join the Terp family and compete at the highest level."
