Maryland women’s basketball released its non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season Tuesday morning, headlined by visits to South Carolina and UConn. After taking her team to the Elite Eight in March, coach Brenda Frese will face some familiar opponents to start the season.
The Terps will head south for an Elite Eight rematch against coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks on Nov. 12 after opening the season at home against Harvard on Nov. 6. South Carolina ended Maryland’s NCAA tournament run with an 86-75 loss in March.
The Terps are 2-5 against South Carolina and haven’t beaten the 2022 national champions since 2018. But South Carolina’s squad will look a lot different this year. With Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke departing, the Gamecocks will rely on point guard Raven Johnson and 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso to continue the team’s winning streak against Maryland.
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Four days later, the Terps will head up the coast for a battle against UConn. Maryland tallied its first win against the Huskies last season, but this year’s UConn squad is poised to be one of the toughest teams in women’s basketball as Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd return to the starting lineup.
While the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ended last year, the Terps will still play a team from its former conference when they face off against Syracuse on Nov. 19. Frese’s squad will then travel to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge, where the Terps will face Pac-12 tournament champions Washington State, Green Bay and UMass during Thanksgiving week.
The rest of Maryland’s non-conference games will take place at home. The Terps will welcome Niagara, George Mason, Towson and James Madison to Xfinity Center. The Dec. 12 matchup against Towson will also be the Terps’ annual field trip day, where the team hosts local elementary schools in a mid-day game.
Maryland’s conference schedule will be announced at a later date.
