When the Maryland women’s basketball team learned it was in the Bridgeport, Connecticut, region during last Monday’s NCAA tournament selection show, the Terps knew a trip to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 would require entering enemy territory.
What they perhaps didn’t realize, though, is how heavily the crowd at Webster Bank Arena would skew for undefeated No. 1 UConn.
The stadium, which lists its basketball capacity at 9,000 seats, sold out the regional tickets four days before the brackets were unveiled, The Washington Post reported. It’s likely a product of UConn fans anticipating the Huskies would be in the Bridgeport region in advance of the announcement.
So, Maryland fans don’t have an easy way to attend this weekend’s games. The Terps are preparing for a hostile environment, especially if they beat No. 10-seed Oregon in Saturday’s Sweet 16, arranging a potential matchup with the Huskies.
“It’s unfortunate,” coach Brenda Frese said. “Obviously provides [UConn] a tremendous advantage.”
The team hopes to rely on previous road experiences to overcome the obstacle.
“We’ve loved all season going into away crowds and silencing them,” guard Kristen Confroy said. “That’s something we pride ourselves on.”
Guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough pointed to Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center as one of the most raucous arenas the Terps saw in this season. After making a layup late in Maryland’s 78-72 win over the Cardinals on Dec. 1, Walker-Kimbrough hushed the announced crowd of 7,816.
“It’s not anything different than we’ve experienced before,” Walker-Kimbrough said.
Though Maryland’s fans will have to find tickets on the resale market, the team still received a 100-ticket allotment, often reserved for family and guests.
Confroy and center Brionna Jones have family members planning to attend, while Walker-Kimbrough said her family was already planning a watch party in her Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, hometown before any news related to the tickets surfaced.
“It’s just disappointing that some our fans, our loyal fans that always come to every game, won’t have a chance to come and watch us play,” Jones said. “That just gives us a little motivation to take care of business so that they can get a chance to come if we make it to the Final Four.”
