Under The Shell: Maryland women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese

Ahmed Ghafir
1 hour ago
3 min read

After an offseason of roster changes and international additions, Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese sat down with Under the Shell to talk about her team’s outlook, the lessons from last season and what’s ahead for the Terps in a loaded Big Ten.

Q: When you look at your nonconference schedule, it seems lighter than in past years. Was that by design to help this team stay healthy and build chemistry?

A: “Yeah, I think twofold. You build these schedules a year out. I thought last year's schedule for us was too difficult, just given the slate of the conference race and those games you have night in and night out — it takes its toll. We didn’t get as much experience out of our bench and our young kids throughout that. So it's always evaluating and figuring out where you can gain that experience in your nonconference because we know what the conference is going to look like.”

Q: You made a few big additions this offseason, including Oluchi Okananwa. She played some point guard in the open practice — what are your plans for her and that position?

A: “That was a surprise to me because she didn’t play the one. She’s a ball handler in the sense that we play fast and we let more than just our point guard bring the ball up in transition. But she’s not a point guard. She’s an elite-level player off the ball. We have three really talented point guards — Lea, Addy and Kyndal — that will all be running the point, and I like that all three are really different. Depending on what we need each game will make the ultimate decision on who plays where. Two of them could be on the court at the same time because of what they bring.”

Q: You added Yarden Garzon from Indiana. What drew you to her?

A: “She was always a player on my radar, just so talented. We got three years to watch her — she’s the all-time leading three-point shooter in Indiana’s history. She brings the ability to knock down shots and spread the floor for us within our offense.”

Q: You’ve got five international players this year. What led to that increase?

A: “We’ve always had a minimum of two international players — this year we have five. Times have changed. A lot of international players are now seeking to come over here, so of course we’re open to that. Lea came in with senior national team experience, which helps us because we’re so young at point guard. And when we lost the size of Gracie Merkel, we needed to fill that void. We were fortunate to add Maria and Nicole in the post — both have been phenomenal additions.”

Q: The program hasn’t won a Big Ten title in a few years. What gives you confidence this group can contend?

A: “The league is really tough — 18 teams now and it stretches to the West Coast. I don’t think in any season you can pinpoint nonconference play and say, ‘This is a championship team.’ Those are always our goals, but a lot has to unfold the right way — home games, road games, staying healthy. We were rolling last year until back-to-back injuries in January impacted us. We know what it takes to get there. Our standard is our standard.”

Q: Favorite part of the new performance center?

A: “People will probably laugh, but I like the ice bath. It’s the worst thing for the players, but I enjoy using them. What I cherish most is seeing how much time the players spend in there. And my office — it feels like a second home to me.”

Q: One word to describe this team?

A: “Will.”

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