The Maryland women’s basketball team is predicted to win its third consecutive Big Ten title in both the coaches and media preseason polls released Monday.
Guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and center Brionna Jones, the only Terps seniors, made the preseason all-conference team.
Coach Brenda Frese has guided her team to Big Ten regular season and tournament championships in each of the past two seasons. After going undefeated in their first season in the Big Ten, the Terps repeated as champions with a 16-2 conference record last year.
The team lost guard Chloe Pavlech and forward Malina Howard, both starters from a season ago, and four seniors overall. That group included guard Brene Moseley, the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year and second-team all-conference performer.
Still, Maryland brought in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. It features Destiny Slocum, the projected starting point guard, and guard Kaila Charles, who has earned praise from Frese for her defensive ability.
Walker-Kimbrough enters her final year in College Park as a unanimous selection to both all-conference teams. She has appeared on all-conference and All-America lists the past two seasons and was the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player last year.
Jones, meanwhile, was a unanimous selection to the coaches’ All-Big Ten team. She led the nation in field goal percentage last year and earned honorable mention honors on two All-American teams.
