Anybody looking to make a highlight reel of Maryland women’s basketball guard Destiny Slocum’s freshman season wasn’t short on footage entering Sunday’s game against Iowa.
In December, Slocum made a clutch and-one layup against Louisville as a Cardinals player’s arm hit her face. She hit a slew of deep 3-pointers against No. 1 Connecticut in December and another triple from near half court against Rutgers earlier this month.
Against Northwestern on Jan. 7, a spin move forced Slocum’s defender to reach down and touch the ground to keep her balance.
Still, Slocum may have doubled the length of that highlight tape with her performance in Maryland’s 100-81 win over the Hawkeyes.
“As a coach, you look really, really good,” coach Brenda Frese joked. “I’m just amazed sometimes.”
Even some of the more routine plays from Slocum against Iowa were eye-catching. Early on, she whizzed a pass over the head of 5-foot-4 Iowa guard Tania Davis into the hands of guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who cut toward the basket for an easy two points.
In the second quarter, the Meridian, Idaho, native received a pass about five feet behind the three-point line and waited a moment before draining the long ball.
“Pretty deep, I don’t know,” Slocum said when asked what her shooting range is. “I was told when I was younger that I needed to expand my 3-point range, so then I just started taking half-court shots.”
She outdid herself at the end of the first half, saving what was an ugly possession for the Terps by swishing a triple with her heels near the coaches’ box line. ESPN put the shot distance at 31.3 feet, and Slocum made that one despite tight defense.
“Destiny always brings a lot of energy, but that particular possession gave us a lot of energy going into the locker room,” center Brionna Jones said. “It gave us a lot of confidence to finish out the game.”
That shot also seemed to fuel Slocum’s conviction.
The freshman didn’t score in the second half after notching 11 points before halftime, but she added seven assists to bring her to 11 assists, earning her second-career double-double.
“She’ll see a pass two plays ahead, before it’s unfolded,” Frese said. “So [her teammates’] hands always have to be ready.”
Slocum made countless no-look passes against Iowa and committed just three turnovers.
She also showed off her slick ball-handling, getting a reaction out of the Xfinity Center crowd when she drove toward the basket but put the brakes on, sending Iowa guard Kathleen Doyle to the floor as she tried to keep pace.
Late in Maryland’s first game against Iowa on Jan. 14, a 92-82 win, Slocum and Iowa guard Ally Disterhoft shared a bit of a tense moment when Disterhoft swatted Slocum’s layup that came after the whistle. Slocum insisted there was nothing personal during Sunday’s game, though.
“That was in the past,” Slocum said. “I didn’t really think about it.”
Slocum’s energy also extended to the defensive end. Defending a 3-on-1 fastbreak in the fourth quarter, Slocum took a charge.
She also made Iowa pay for a mistake while they inbounded the ball, diving for the ball and drawing a foul.
“I think the most important thing is just how childlike she is out there,” Frese said. “She’s always having fun. She’s bouncing around doing jumping jacks. She just has a spirit that’s really contagious out there with her energy.”
