Maryland women’s basketball saw significant turnover during the 2026 offseason, but guard Oluchi Okananwa still led the way in the Terps’ first action of the new season.
The Terps tipped off their exhibition slate in College Park Monday against Virginia Tech. Maryland finished on top, 93-82, with Okananwa steering the ship with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
Head coach Brenda Frese started her 25th year at Maryland with big shoes to fill; in the offseason, the Terps lost guard Yarden Garzon, forward Saylor Poffenbarger and guard Kaylene Smikle, all key players in the 2025-26 season.
A key addition, Nunu Agara, was brought in to help fill those shoes. She made her first start for the Terps and finished with 20 points. The forward made the All-ACC second team twice at Stanford before transferring to Maryland for her senior season.
Bri McDaniel made her first start since Jan. 14, 2025, when she suffered an ankle injury that sidelined her for the entire 2025-26 season. She finished with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting and knocked down her lone 3-point attempt.
The game stayed close throughout, with the Terps leading by just one after the first quarter. Okananwa scored 11 of the Terps’ 19 first-quarter points.
Maryland started the second quarter on a 9-0 run, which included a stolen inbound pass that led to an and-one for Trinity Jones. But Virginia Tech stayed in it and finished the first half on a 5-0 run.
Jones, the five-star freshman guard, also made her first start, and she made her presence known in her 23 floor minutes. She filled up the stat sheet with seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
“I think she plays the right way,” said Frese. “She just wants to win and help this team in any way possible.”
Maryland led, 43-39, at halftime. However, the Terps were just 1-for-4 on 3-pointers in the first half and were out-rebounded 27-19.
Maryland also struggled to control the paint defensively. The Terps allowed 40 points in the paint and 18 offensive rebounds.
“We’re really young with freshmen in that position, and [Agara]’s got to do a better job anchoring us in that position defensively,” said Frese. “But again it’s only October, and it’s areas I know we’ll get a lot better in.”
Maryland controlled the second half, with Agara and McDaniel each coming alive and scoring in double figures.
McDaniel put the game away midway through the fourth quarter with a dagger 3-pointer, giving the Terps a 12-point lead.
Sophomore Addi Mack was the fourth Terp to score in double figures. She had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting and was 1-for-2 from three.
The Terps will stay home for their next exhibition against a North Carolina team that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament last season. They will tip off at 1p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s freshmen will come in ready to produce. Jones and Jordyn Jackson combined for 41 minutes, and Mimi Thiero added five more. Jackson finished with six points and three rebounds. With so many minutes to fill, the two five-star freshmen will get more than their fair share of time on the court as the season comes along.
2. Four-guard lineups may be common practice for the Terps. Eight of the nine Maryland players with the highest minutes in Maryland’s first exhibition were guards, with Agara as the exception. Expect either Thiero or Marya Boiko to take on a bigger role this season, but for now, Agara will be the only big seeing significant minutes for the Terps.
3. Okananwa and McDaniel combine for an ultra-aggressive backcourt. The Terps scored 50 points in the paint and only shot 10 3-pointers. A big reason was Okananwa and McDaniel going 12-for-20 from the field and combining for only one 3-pointer. The pair also combined for 18 free-throw attempts, 13 of which they made.