Over the course of the season, No. 5 Maryland women’s basketball has traveled roughly 14,000 miles — an average of about 1,000 miles per trip.

In the Big Ten, teams travel from the East Coast to the Midwest on a regular basis. The Terps even spent five days away from College Park for a Thursday game against Wisconsin and a Sunday match at Nebraska.

Add in games against Baylor in Waco, Texas, and the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament in Florida, and Maryland traveled enough miles to fly from Washington, D.C., to Dubai and back this season.

Despite playing one of the country’s toughest schedules, Maryland finished the regular season with an 11-2 away record. While its play on the court was the main contributor to a stellar away mark, chemistry on the road is equally important.

“They’re super close,” coach Brenda Frese said of her team. “When you get on the buses or even the flights, they all sit together. Sometimes they [have the option to] spread out, and they’ll still be sitting amongst each other because they’re so close.”

While cruising at more than 30,000 feet, each player has their own preference as to how to spend the flight. For example, former Terp and current Washington Mystic Shatori Walker-Kimbrough dissected film with coaches after games.

How, then, do Maryland’s 14 players prefer to spend their time on the road?

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Each player was asked two questions. First, what non-electronic item can you not live without while you travel? Second, what is your favorite activity when traveling?

Five players took a practical approach to the first question. Diamond Miller, Lavender Briggs, Brinae Alexander, Mila Reynolds and Bri McDaniel said they couldn’t live without toiletries, including a toothbrush, cosmetics and contact solution.

Another popular item was some kind of pillow. Elisa Pinzan has a stingray; Faith Masonius always brings a seal when she travels; Allie Kubek carries a weighted pink dinosaur; and Shyanne Sellers has a Nemo pillow.

“I always laugh because I swear, they each have a pillow pet or a blanket or that stuffed animal from when they were young that they bring,” Frese said. “That’s kind of sweet when you see them all get on the flights.”

A book (Abby Meyers and Ava Sciolla) and clothes (Gia Cooke and Summer Bostock) were also common answers. Rounding out the prized items was a pair of AirPods, which Emma Chardon said she couldn’t live without.

In terms of popular activities, there seem to be two main factions: the card players and the TV watchers. More often than not, you’ll find Masonius, Reynolds, Briggs and Kubek playing card games such as Rummy, Kemps and BS. When asked who the best card player was, Reynolds said, “Put this on the record: I’m unbeatable in BS.”

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While Alexander, Miller, Pinzan and Sellers prefer to catch up on the latest shows and videos, Sciolla and Meyers both opt for a good book.

“I always take a book with me, even if I don’t read it,” Meyers said. “I take a book with me because if I happen to not want to be on my phone or watch another show, I can always read, and that is like a best friend waiting for me.”

McDaniel and Bostock listen to music, Chardon catches up on sleep and Cooke plays video games on her Nintendo Switch.

When the team lands, Frese is intentional about having group dinners where phone use is strictly prohibited.

“I’m really kind of sacred from how I was raised where your meals are important to be together and spending time and bonding,” Frese said. “They know that’s a big thing with me, so those dinners were really intentional … it’s a family meal and spending time together.”

Briggs added team dinners are a time for players to get to know each other, and said she and Chardon often have fruitful discussions about anything.

As Maryland departs for Minneapolis, where they will be the third seed in the Big Ten tournament, chemistry and compatibility will be key in winning three matches in three days — what it will take for the Terps to claim the conference title.