Maryland women’s basketball’s coach Brenda Frese spent the past few seasons watching Yarden Garzon pick apart her defense.
Indiana, led by Garzon’s shooting, won three of its last four matchups against the Terps. The 6-foot-3 guard scored on about 52 percent of her shots beyond the arc throughout the contests.
So when the Big Ten’s reigning leader in 3-pointers entered the transfer portal about a month after dropping 18 points on Maryland in February, Frese didn’t hesitate to pursue her team’s former rival.
About a week later, Maryland became the latest stop in Garzon’s international journey rooted in faith and basketball that spans nearly 7,000 miles.
College Park stood out to Garzon as a familiar yet comfortable destination to close her collegiate career — and one where she could fully embrace her Jewish identity and competitive ambitions.
“I felt very welcomed and loved from the first moment there,” Garzon said. “They welcomed me in the best way possible.”
Garzon never wanted to play basketball, let alone pursue the sport collegiately abroad. Growing up in Ra’anana, Israel, an affluent suburb north of Tel Aviv, volleyball was always Garzon’s sport of choice.
The only issue was playing competitive volleyball in Israel was often restricted until middle school, Garzon said. Midway through elementary school, Garzon and her twin sister, Yuval, showed up to a basketball workout — after much convincing by Yuval.
“After this practice, I stayed and she left immediately,” Garzon said. “My twin sister actually put me into it, and the rest is history.”
When Garzon reached high school, she knew she wanted to play basketball in the United States. It was a familial dream first blazed by her older sister, Lior, who had left for Villanova University in 2020.
Garzon’s international goal was realized after an impressive showing at a European championship. Months later, Indiana signed the four-star recruit to its 2026 class.
“She’s a proven winner, and she’s done it at every level,” Frese said. “Nobody really knew who she was, and then all of a sudden [she] just made a huge name for herself and elevated that program from the minute she got there.”
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A stellar freshman season in Bloomington followed. Garzon earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors while logging nearly 30 minutes a game.
But less than a year later, her world was flipped over.
When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Lior said Yarden was up all night searching for information.
Garzon’s once-tranquil hometown morphed into disruption and uncertainty over the coming months. She and Lior, both in the United States, felt helpless as their family sought safety.
“It shouldn’t be part of our life,” Yarden Garzon said. “I can do whatever I can do to raise awareness, but it’s tough that my country, my people are going through that.”
Israeli legislation mandates that every new residential unit in Israel must provide close access to a protected space. This includes Garzon’s one-story family home in Ra’anana.
Yarden and Lior Garzon frequented the isolated, windowless basement below their home when they visited Israel last summer, Lior said.
“Growing up in Israel, you get used to it, unfortunately,” Lior Garzon said. “Obviously, it’s not fun. It’s not the ideal reality we want to live in.”
During Indiana’s season-opener that November, Garzon revealed she’d written “Bring Them Home” on her wristband — a reference to the more than 250 people taken hostage by Hamas.
Aside from an annual summer visit to her hometown, Yarden Garzon spends the rest of the year in the U.S.
Staying involved with Indiana’s Chabad and Hillel, cultural and social organizations for Jewish students, helped Garzon maintain her connection to Israel while in Bloomington.
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“We have a really strong Jewish community here,” Garzon said. “We love each other and we’re there for each other.”
The guard entered the transfer portal on March 31. Instant communication from Frese led to a quick response — both Yarden and Lior Garzon made the trip to Maryland soon after.
After touring Xfinity Center and the surrounding campus, they stopped by Maryland’s Jewish organizations before a team dinner with Garzon’s soon-to-be teammates.
In addition to joining an improved basketball landscape, Garzon said maintaining Jewish community was a factor in choosing a transfer school. This university ranks fourth among public universities nationwide in Jewish undergraduate population with 5,800 students, according to a 2024 Hillel International study.
“Having a huge Jewish community in Maryland definitely helps,” Garzon said. “With everything going on in college campuses around the U.S., the antisemitism, the hate, I felt very safe in Maryland.”
Maryland checked all of Garzon’s boxes, from the positive team culture to being able to expand her skills on the hardwood. But for her, the move meant more than just basketball.
“I’m representing something bigger than myself. I’m Israeli and I’m Jewish — and I’m proud of it, Garzon said.”
