Brenda Frese has coached Maryland in three Final Fours. She knows what that weekend entails — buzz of excitement, the chaotic energy, the importance of doing every little thing right. And though Maryland hasn’t been there since 2015, she’s felt that feeling a lot over the last few seasons.
That’s because in order to compete for a spot in the Final Four, her Terrapins have to compete in the portal.
“It’s like being at the Final Four every single day in March and April,” Frese tells Hoops HQ. “It’s the most intense part of the entire season because it happens so quickly and you have to make decisions really quickly.”
This season Frese was able to sign two impact players from the portal in 6-foot-3 senior guard Yarden Garzon (Indiana) and 5-foot-10 junior guard Oluchi Okananwa (Duke). Garzon, who averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season, has been one of the country’s top three-point threats since her freshman season, making 42.6 percent of her attempts during her time at Indiana. “She was someone that we saw for three years, and whenever you are scouting you come across players that you have in the back of your mind that you would love to coach if they went into the portal,” Frese says.
The Terrapins had a previous relationship with Okananwa from recruiting her out of high school. Frese was impressed by her motor and ability to play both sides of the ball, something that was showcased during the ACC Tournament when the guard was named most outstanding player. Okananwa averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game at Duke. “She is such a dynamic player, who plays really hard on both ends of the floor,” Frese says. “She’s someone that can pick up full court and really defend, and then on offense she is so athletic that she can get downhill and is hard to stop from scoring.”
Garzon and Okananwa were two highly sought-after players, but it wasn’t a perfect portal window for Maryland. The Terrapins were also supposed to sign 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merkle, who averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last year at Penn State; Merkle announced her decision to play at Maryland on April 5, but then less than two months later, Merkle posted on her Instagram account that she had been released from Maryland, “per her request,” and would be returning to Penn State.
It was one of the stranger occurrences of the offseason, and one that hurt Maryland’s roster construction.
“It was disappointing,” Frese says. “I think rules need to be put into play. It’s understandable if someone wants to return back, I guess that is OK to do, but the timing, because the portal was already closed, was super impactful.”
Frese and her staff were forced to pivot, bringing in two international players instead: 6-foot-4 freshman forward Marya Boiko from Belarus and 6-foot-2 freshman forward Nicole Fritea from Romania. “We had to really use our contacts to bring them in,” Frese says. “They are obviously different from Gracie, but they keep us uptempo. Both have great size and have come over and adapted really well.”
Frese likes her roster makeup, which includes returning 6-foot senior guard Kaylene Smikle, who led the team with 17.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Now it’s time to bring everyone together, one of the most challenging aspects of today’s college basketball world. Last season the Terrapins adjusted to having 10 new players on roster, including Smikle — who came in from Rutgers and was Maryland’s top player — as well as Mir McLean (Virginia) and Saylor Poffenbarger (Arkansas). Frese expects both McLean and Poffenbarger to make big jumps this season after struggling with injuries throughout 2024-25.
Maryland also brought in five freshmen, with guards Rainey Welson, Lea Bartelme and Addi Mack joining Boiko and Fritea.
“We know that with the portal there will be new rosters every year,” Frese says. “Our staff is really intentional about building team chemistry as soon as everyone gets to campus. You have to be really tuned in to teaching your culture and system.”
Developing a point guard will be particularly critical for Maryland after graduating three-year starter Shyanne Sellers. Frese expects to see three players competing for significant minutes at the position: Mack, a 5-foot-9 guard who finished second all-time in Minnesota state scoring history, Bartelme, who has played for the Slovenian national team since 2023, and Kyndal Walker, a Maryland native who redshirted last season. “It’s going to be by committee, but all three have been really impressive so far.” Frese says. “I usually only have one point guard, so to have a variety of great ones is really exciting. I have no idea who is going to start because they are all competing really well.”
The point guards aren’t the only players impressing Frese so far this offseason. She says the Terrapins are coming together organically, something that doesn’t always happen, especially with so many fresh faces.
It’s almost enough to bring back that familiar Final Four-level energy.
“They have really shown a phenomenal pulse of understanding what it takes to be an elite team,” Frese says. “They’ve been really proactive, from the moment they got here.”
