When coach Brenda Frese stepped up to the lectern in Minneapolis to kick off coaches’ press conferences at Wednesday’s Big Ten Media Day, she made it clear Maryland women’s basketball in this upcoming season would be “unique.”
After a dramatic start to the offseason when five members of her squad transferred, Frese rebounded, landing talented players via the transfer portal.
“We want to continue to bring high caliber players that can compete at the highest level,” she said. “You want that championship pedigree.”
The newly rostered five transfers and the four freshmen bring the versatility the Maryland coaching staff hope to use on the court in different styles of play.
“People always talk about playing positionless basketball in this new era, and you’re really gonna see it from us this upcoming season,” Frese said during the press conference.
[Diamond Miller stayed with Maryland women’s basketball. Now it’s her turn to lead it.]
Abby Meyers, a senior guard from Princeton, headlines that list of transfers.
The reigning Ivy League Player of the Year led her team in scoring in 19 games, averaging 17.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Tigers during the 2021-2022 season.
She will bring her confidence and knowledge of the game to Maryland this season, Frese said. The Princeton transfer has the right combination of skills that makes her an “ultimate competitor,” she said.
Meyers, who tagged along with Frese and Diamond Miller in Minneapolis, said joining a new team has been a learning experience.
“They’ve treated me so well,” she said. “I’m so excited for the season.”
Frese’s other transfers include Lavender Briggs from Florida, Brinae Alexander from Vanderbilt, Elisa Pinzan from South Florida and Allie Kubek from Towson. Kubek will miss the entire season after tearing her ACL.
[Big Ten releases Maryland women’s basketball’s conference schedule]
“When you look at the rest of the transfers and incoming freshmen we brought in, they’re all winners,” Frese said.
The new-look Terps will hit the ground running this season with a competitive nonconference schedule designed to show where they need to improve early before conference play begins.
Maryland will play games against four teams that finished in the top 25 last year, including defending national champion South Carolina in just the second game of the season. The Terps will also play Baylor, Notre Dame and UConn before diving into conference play.
This year’s nonconference schedule is the toughest Maryland has played during Frese’s tenure, she said.
Last year, Frese’s squad played four top-10 teams in its nonconference schedule: Baylor, North Carolina State, Stanford and South Carolina.
The difference this year comes with the timing of those games — the Terps now face those elite squads earlier in their season.
“It allows us a great opportunity to play both challenging and really fun games to find out where we stand before heading into the most competitive conference in the country,” Frese said.
