The Terps roster five returners and three freshmen this season.
No. 18 Maryland women’s basketball went through a lot of roster turnover in the offseason. After falling to Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese knew changes needed to be made, while still keeping some key pieces.
Only five players return from last year’s roster, all of which will be expected to uphold Frese’s standard and introduce Maryland’s three freshmen to college basketball.
But will the returners and freshmen live up to Frese’s expectations?
Returners
Three of the five returners were in Maryland’s top-five in scoring in 2023-24. Despite the popularity of the transfer portal, Frese retained impactful players.
Shyanne Sellers, Bri McDaniel, Allie Kubek, Emily Fisher and Emma Chardon all return this season to reach heights they have not achieved in their time in College Park.
Sellers led Maryland in points, assists and blocks last season and enters her senior campaign as the star of the program.
Heading into 2024-25, she was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team, the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year watch list and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list.
In her fourth season with the program, Sellers will be a starting guard and facilitate Maryland’s offense.
Standing at 6-foot-2, her height and length provide an advantage on the defensive end as well.
McDaniel comes into her junior season after taking a big step last season and bringing an immense impact, earning an All-Big Ten honorable. She scored in double figures in 20 games, as she grew into a leadership role alongside Sellers.
McDaniel will be a strong offensive force, but will also be impactful defensively as she is an all-around player for Maryland.
“We returned two of our top three scorers that were both all Big Ten honorees in both Shy [Sellers] and Bri [McDaniel]. To be able to have that core coming back to uphold our standard and uphold our leadership and our values is really, really important,” Frese said.
Kubek comes into her second season on the court and third season overall with Maryland after spending two years with Towson. In her first season playing for the Terps, after missing all of 2022-23 with a torn ACL, Kubek brought size to Maryland’s lineup. She was Maryland’s biggest player and a strong force in the paint.
“Really excited about Allie Kubek. I think you all remember the game that she had last game in the NCAA Tournament, and she’s really taken off since that game,” Frese said. “Coming out consistent every single day [and] confident is going to be invaluable for our team.”
Kubek posted 29 points, five rebounds and an assist in the loss to Iowa State.
Fisher is the only member of last year’s freshmen class to remain in College Park for this season. She saw her role increase throughout last season and evolved into a rotation piece. Heading into her sophomore, Fisher looks to grow into a bigger role in Maryland’s rotation.
Chardon has struggled to stay on the court over the past two seasons. She played 17 games as a freshman in 2021-22, but suffered a torn meniscus in the first game of 2022-23 and torn ACL eight games into last season.
The main goal for Chardon this season is to be on the court. She is still rehabbing from her ACL injury, and doesn’t have a timetable for her return.
This core of returners will be crucial for Maryland’s success this season, all five should receive valuable minutes for the Terps, especially early on.
Freshmen
Maryland welcomes three freshmen to the team — Ava McKennie, Kyndal Walker and Breanna Williams — all of which are four-star prospects, according to ESPN. Walker and Williams were ranked in the top 50 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings.
“We also added three freshmen with Kyndal [Walker], Bre [Williams] and Ava [McKennie]. And what I love about these three is they all come in having won championships,” Frese said. “They have a winner’s mentality, not afraid to work and have really been impressive as a class coming in.”
Walker was an impressive prospect coming out of Saint John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. She was ranked No. 35 in her class by ESPN. She was the 2024 Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year and 2024 D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year. Walker won three consecutive WCAC titles with Saint John’s.
Walker has high potential in Maryland’s system. Whether she’ll get the chance to unleash that potential this season is still unknown, though. As a 5-foot-9 guard, the path to significant playing time will be difficult for Walker with a clog in the backcourt.
Williams comes to Maryland with an impressive résumé out of Billings, Montana. She was ranked No. 45 in her class by ESPN. At Skyview High School, she won the state championship as a sophomore and a senior. Williams is a two-time Montana Gatorade Player of the Year.
As a 6-foot-2 forward, Williams will fight for playing time, and there is a chance she will spend significant time on the bench. Like all of Maryland’s freshmen, she has what it takes to be impactful, it just depends on when. She only played 28 minutes in Maryland’s two exhibitions, which was on the lower end of those who suited up.
McKennie played at McDonogh School in Baltimore County, where she won three straight Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championships.
It is hard to see McKennie playing many impactful minutes for the Terps. She played 33 minutes in the two exhibitions and does not seem like one of Frese’s top options to start the season.
Her brother, Ellis McKennie, was an offensive lineman for Maryland football from 2016-2019.
It is still unknown how much Frese will play her freshmen this season with a roster loaded with veterans.
Maryland women’s basketball will begin its season on Nov. 4 at UMBC, where Frese will look to her returners and freshmen to differentiate themselves from the program’s seven transfers.