Maryland women’s basketball to host defending national champion South Carolina, NCAA runner-up UConn in 2022-23
Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese has always committed to reloading, not rebuilding. Even after losing several high-profile players to the transfer portal, including All-Americans sophomore Angel Reese and junior Ashley Owusu, the Terps have replenished the roster with eight new players.
And now Frese is showing that Maryland won’t back down from the competition. The university announced Tuesday that the Terps will host defending national champion South Carolina and UConn, the NCAA Tournament runner-up, in College Park as part of their nonconference schedule during the 2022-23 season. Maryland will make return trips to Columbia, South Carolina, and Storrs, Connecticut, in 2023-24.
Game dates, time and TV information will be available at a later date.
“We absolutely LOVE playing the best competition year-in and year-out,” Frese said in a news release. “These two opponents have always been huge matchups that our fans really enjoy. It’s even more exciting knowing that we have the defending national champions coming into our building. We have one of the best home courts in the nation and we can’t wait to have our fans come out and cheer on our special team in XFINITY.”
Maryland has faced South Carolina five times, including last season — a 66-59 loss to the then-No. 1 Gamecocks on Dec. 12.
The Terps have played UConn seven times previously, all since 2012. The last home meeting came in front of a sold-out crowd on Dec. 29, 2016, which the Huskies won, 87-81.
Maryland’s new-look roster will feature Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honoree Abby Meyers, last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year out of Princeton who played high school basketball at Walt Whitman in Potomac. The Terps also brought in All-Southeastern Conference transfer Lavender Briggs (Florida), All-American Athletic Conference transfer Elisa Pinzan (USF) and All-Colonial Athletic Association transfer Allie Kubek (Towson).
Maryland also returns All-Big Ten honoree and 2021 Big Ten Conference Tournament MVP, Diamond Miller, as well as Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year Shyanne Sellers. In addition, the Terps landed top-60 recruits Brianna McDaniels and Gia Cooke.
Maryland’s full nonconference schedule will be announced at a later date. It previously announced a road game at Baylor.
