On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Howard Megdal is joined by University of Maryland head coach Brenda Frese. The two talk about this past season in College Park, what the team can expect going forward, and how they plan to make up for the loss of program star Shyanne Sellers.
Megdal opens the show by asking Frese about her approach to the transfer portal. “Experience is the best teacher,” Frese says. “But you know, our new normal … the transfer portal is here to stay. And I think we’ve just done a phenomenal job as a staff, just being able to adapt to it. … At some point, the hardest part is just making sure you stay true to your culture.”
Later on, Medgal and Frese discussed Frese’s decision to bring in guard Oluchi Okanawa from the Duke roster. “I think the cool backstory with [Okanawa] is that it was the first time we recruited someone under the radar,” Frese says. And Frese is just as excited for Okanawa’s off-the-court presence. “What I’m really, really looking forward to,” Frese continues, “is the fact that she’s going to be a leader.”
‘Rare Gems’ is out now!
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. “Rare Gems” follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy Megdal’s coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.”
Megdal and Frese close out the show by discussing how the Terps might attempt to replace the force that was Shyanne Sellers, and how they can nurture the next true team leader. “Our staff is very connected on the same page with how we develop our players,” Frese explained. “We’re preparing every single one of these players. They come in here with dreams and aspirations … our job is to help mentor them.”
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