March is coming.
No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball enters the Big Ten Tournament as a No. 6 seed and is currently expected to host first- and second-round games in the NCAA tournament.
The Terps will fly to Indianapolis on Thursday around 9 p.m. to face the winner of No. 11 seed Oregon and No. 14 seed Purdue, likely needing to win at least one game to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament.
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If the Terps win on Thursday, they will seek revenge for Saturday’s loss to third-seeded Michigan.
“Hopefully this is a wake-up call for us,” Frazier said after the loss to Michigan. “There’s a lot of great teams … that’s what it’s going to be like when we go to the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA.”
But the Terps seemed unlikely at some points this season to make the playoffs with such a good record.
Maryland is ranked No. 10 in the AP poll this season and jumped to No. 7 after a 14-0 start. But the Terps seemed unlikely at some points this season to make the playoffs with such a good record.
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Some of its potential has been sapped by injuries. First, Lea Bartelme suffered a torn ACL. Later in non-league play, Ava McKennie did the same.
Kaylin Smykel elected to undergo season-ending knee surgery after playing seven games, and Bree McDaniel elected to redshirt after suffering a torn ACL last season. Just like that, two players who were once regarded as lineup staples are missing.
The rest of the team needs to step up. Most do this at one point or another during the season, but not without adversity.
The Big Ten got off to a great start, but things changed as 2026 rolled around. A narrow loss to Illinois on New Year’s Day and a home loss to then-No. 19 Ohio State has lost four straight games – three at home – tying head coach Brenda Frese’s longest losing streak.
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The Terps hit rock bottom. Then, things changed, as they won six straight in February before losing to No. 8 Michigan in the regular-season finale.
“We’re very proud of this team because we’ve come a long way in February, but this game will definitely humble us and make some key takeaways that will help us going into March,” Frazier said after the loss to Michigan.
Maryland stayed resilient and found success through the emergence of new stars and the rest of its rotation.
Oluchi Okananwa has been Maryland’s best player this season. Terps went as she did, and it worked. She averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 52.2% from the field.
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Indiana transfer Aden Garzon took some time to adjust to the Maryland environment, but has disappeared from deep. She leads the Big Ten in three-pointers made and attempted, and her shooting percentage is as high as 39.1%, ranking 11th in the league. Garzon averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
Isi Ozzie-Momodu has emerged as the primary big man and injects energy into her team.
The biggest surprise, however, was the new life. Especially Addie Mack. Through non-conference play, Mack became the starting point guard and played alongside Maryland. She struggled at times in Big Ten play, but she was a key reason injuries didn’t sink the Terps.
Then, Kendall Walker showed up. She didn’t get a chance until the Big Ten game, but was easily the most developed player all season. She became the sixth option and found offensive success.
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Renee Wilson is expected to be on the bench for most of the season. But her absence was a key reason for a four-game losing streak, while her return sparked a six-game winning streak. She once looked a little lost on the field, but later found an opportunity to hit the ball from distance and her playing time increased as the season went on.
The final member of Maryland’s rotation didn’t get much playing time until late. But Mir McLean was always viewed as a valuable piece and has proven his worth during the winning streak. She even became a starter as Ozzy Momodu dealt with a calf injury.
From going undefeated in non-conference play, to losing six of the first 11 conference games, to winning six of the last seven, this season has been a roller coaster.
That said, it will all be defined in March Madness.
“Like the trends and spikes we had in February, getting ready for March,” Frazier said.
