After a summer that included a near-total overhaul of the roster, Maryland women’s basketball head coach Brenda Freese and her staff are putting the pieces together again to compete for the title.
“It’s just a great puzzle to put together,” Frese said. “We look forward to maximizing our roster. There is so much talent on this roster and we are really looking forward to putting them all in the best position to succeed. We love to play fast, we want to run, we want to climb up and down the floor, so our standards for playing Maryland basketball change. It is not.”
The Terps lost many big names including Angel Reese and Ashley Owusu, but reloaded with a solid freshman class via the transfer portal. Abby Myers (Princeton), Lavender Briggs (Florida), Elisa Pinzan (South Florida), and Bryne Alexander (Vanderbilt) joined the Maryland program after strong careers at previous institutions, Each averaged over 9 points per game.
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“I think the attacking system we put in place allows them to play, so they’re not focused on a specific position,” said Freese. “So I think as a player I always want that kind of freedom. Given that, we need to be able to get the type of players that are available and capable.”
The players running the system may have changed, but Maryland runs the same system as it did in this latest era of the program. Terps play true positioningless basketball, running up and down the court to dominate other teams in transition, essentially kicking opponents out of the gym. This style was most effective during his 2020-21 campaign when Maryland was fourth in the nation with his 82.8 points per game.
“I think this was the same conversation as two years ago. Everyone was like, ‘What’s going on in Maryland?'” said Senior Diamond Miller. “So I think you guys have to watch the show at this point.”
Player rotation continues to work well as pieces consolidate further and earn roles. Maryland suffered heavy losses in the offseason, and on September 17, transfer forward Ally Kubek (Tawson) tore his ACL and missed the entire season, leaving the program with limited internal support. only left. A true freshman, Mira Reynolds, will have a bigger role than expected.
“Mira is definitely a shooter,” Kubek said of the 6.3-foot forward. I think I want to do.”
Maryland relies on younger players to take turns with seniors to provide quality minutes. Late Flip Gia Cooke and Briana McDaniel, who were to pair up at Texas A&M, fit perfectly into her system on offense, offering speed on offense and strong defense, and Frese made her McDaniel one of the team’s best. Calling her one of the best defenders.
The Terps have little time to put the pieces of the puzzle together this season and will face No. 1 South Carolina at home on November 11 in the second game of the season. During the season, the team will face a team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 12 times.
“For our team, this will be a marathon, not a sprint,” said Frese. “We’re blending so many new players into the mix that you get to know yourself very early in the non-conference. But I love it too. It sets you up for conference play.” It prepares me for the postseason, and I really come to Maryland to play against the best and have a fun experience.”
Maryland will host a free draw against Frostburg State (October 28) and Millersville (November 2) at the Xfinity Center before opening the season away with George Mason on November 7. exhibition will be held.
