The Terps usher in the new year looking to stay undefeated.
No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball will start 2025 undefeated after a 12-0 start.
The Terps will host Kaylene Smikle’s former squad on the second day of the new year as Rutgers travels to Xfinity Center.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. Thursday and stream on Big Ten Plus.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-5, 0-2 Big Ten)
Head coach Coquese Washington is in her third season at the helm with Rutgers and has already matched the team’s win total from last season. That said, Washington’s biggest struggle as Rutgers’ head coach is Big Ten play. Since taking over, Rutgers is 7-31 against conference opponents; Maryland is 26-12 in that span.
Smikle, who has been a star for Maryland this season, led Rutgers in scoring last season.
Rutgers’ wins came against Manhattan, Cornell, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Iona, Georgia Southern, Fairleigh Dickinson, Wagner and Lafayette. The Scarlet Knights have yet to earn a signature win against a team of Maryland’s caliber.
Players to watch
Kiyomi McMiller, freshman guard, 5-foot-8, No. 32 — McMiller leads Rutgers in scoring as a freshman with 20.4 points per game, which ranks 17th among freshman in the country. She also averages 3.4 assists and 5.5 rebounds. She hails from Silver Spring, Maryland, and was ESPN’s No. 22 ranked recruit in the 2024 class.
Destiny Adams, senior guard/forward, 6-foot-3, No. 1 — Adams leads Rutgers this season with 10.2 rebounds per game and is second in scoring with 18.3 points per game. She’s in her second season with Rutgers after playing two seasons with North Carolina. Last season, she earned coaches’ All-Big Ten second-team honors and was a media Big Ten honorable mention.
Chyna Cornwell, graduate student center, 6-foot-3, No. 54 — Cornwell is in her fifth season with Rutgers and has operated as the de facto starting center for the last three years. She ranks second on the team with 8.9 rebounds per game and third with 8.6 points per game. She is a presence in the paint and has yet to attempt a 3-pointer in her entire five-year career.
Strength
Offensive rebounds. The Scarlet Knights average 16.1 offensive rebounds per game this season, tied for the most in the Big Ten and the 18th-highest mark in the country. Maryland is right behind Rutgers, averaging 15.4 offensive rebounds per game.
Weakness
Assist-to-turnover ratio. Rutgers has the second-worst assist-to-turnover ratio in the Big Ten (0.90), only above Penn State’s 0.89 mark. Rutgers is 123rd in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, while Maryland is 67th at 1.06. The Scarlet Knights also average just 12.5 assists per game, tied for 222nd in the nation.
Three things to watch
1. Usher in the new year. The Terps are 12-0 for the first time since 2018-19, when they won their first 12 games before losing to Rutgers on Dec. 31 at Xfinity Center. The last time the Terps entered the new year with an undefeated record was 2011-12. Maryland’s upcoming schedule includes games against Rutgers, No. 23 Iowa, No. 4 USC, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
2. Smikle’s revenge. Smikle led Rutgers in scoring in each of the last two seasons. She currently leads the Terps with 17.8 points per game and may enter Thursday’s game with a new sense of aggressiveness.
3. The Big Ten isn’t easy. Despite winning its first two Big Ten games this season, neither have been easy victories for Maryland. The Terps will suit up for their third Big Ten game against a team that hasn’t fared well during conference play in recent history. How the first 10 minutes of the game play out may indicate whether or not it will be competitive.