The last game of Maryland women’s basketball’s 2024-25 season boiled down to four points in a Sweet 16 loss to South Carolina.

The game also marked the final moment in a Terps uniform for several key players. Shyanne Sellers, last year’s top point scorer, was drafted by the Golden State Valkyries and is currently a free agent. Sarah Te-Biasu, Christina Dalce and Amari DeBerry graduated. The transfer portal took Emily Fisher to Nebraska and Allie Kubek to Florida State.

Coach Brenda Frese knew she needed to fill those holes in the offseason. Frese’s recruiting vision focused on ball-handling, three-point shooting and dominant defensive play. Traditionally running a four-out offense, she recruited guards who can play multiple positions.

The Terps will start their 2025-2026 season with seven new players.

The depth of Maryland’s roster continues past the new Terps. Breanna Williams, Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu and Kyndal Walker redshirted as freshmen. Sophomore Ava McKennie, senior Kaylene Smikle and graduate student Mir McLean are returners to the team. Senior Bri McDaniel is coming off an ACL injury.

“We can play a lot of different ways and styles based on the scout, based on how we want to play,” Frese said. “The nice thing is, having 15 players on the roster, you have that depth and the ability to play that way.”

Yarden Garzon

Garzon transferred to Maryland after three seasons at Indiana. The 6-foot-3 guard became the Hoosiers’ all-time leader in three pointers with 220, and was the team’s leading scorer in the 2024-2025 season.

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“Her work ethic is amazing. She’s constantly working out. She’s an amazing player. But she’s always hungry … and I think that that’s something that we need for our team,” Saylor Poffenbarger said. “She wants to win.”

With three years in the conference, Garzon has experience competing against Frese and Maryland. She has now switched sides. Frese assured that Garzon will be in the starting lineup and highlighted her offensive versatility, where she can play shooting guard through center.

Oluchi Okananwa

Okananwa, a 5-foot-10 transfer from Duke, fills the defensive need.

“Penetrator, slasher, a lot of athleticism,” Frese said, describing Okananwa.

The back-court guard is experienced and controls the ball well, Frese added. She earned the ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2025.

Outside the transfer portal, Frese welcomes five freshmen, three of them international.

“This freshman class is different, and a lot of them are going to see significant, impactful minutes,” Frese said.

Lea Bartelme

Bartelme is a freshman from Kisovec, Slovenia. She has played on the Slovenian National Team since 2023 and was named to the “All-Star 5” for the WABA league in 2024 and 2025.

“Being a freshman and coming that far from your family is hard in itself, and I think she’s just really stood out with her poise and the way she’s trying to run our offense,” Poffenbarger said. “She’s young, but she’s at the same time doing a great job of getting us into our offense.”

The 5-foot-8 point guard is learning the playbook to be able to run the offense, according to Poffenbarger. She continues to be a sponge, Poffenbarger said, even working on how to better converse with her teammates.

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Rainey Welson

Welson, another true freshman, joins the team from Greenville, Wisconsin. She was ranked No. 34 by ESPN and No. 33 by 247Sports composite. Frese described Welson as a versatile guard adding to the team’s depth in the backcourt. with a consistent ability to drive to the basket and shoot three-pointers.

Addi Mack

Mack, a freshman from Minneapolis, Minnesota, excels as a scorer. With 4,687 career high school points, she is No. 2 on Minnesota’s all-time scoring list. As a high school senior, Mack was the No. 1 active career leader in scoring in the United States. Frese plans to use her as a guard.

“I’m very confident in my abilities, and I’m excited to see what I can add to the team and just be able to play with all the high-level players around me,” Mack said Sept. 5.

Marya Boiko

Now-graduated Dalce and DeBerry brought size and height to Maryland last season. The 6-foot-4 Boiko from Minsk, Belarus, helps fill that void.

“Marya has made just incredible strides as she’s gotten in here to give us just a great presence. I mean, it’s a name nobody knows right now,” Frese said.

She was a Bronze medalist in the 2025 Russian Cup and represented Belarus at the U-20 national team level. Boiko got significant minutes at the open practice Saturday, finishing second in points with 14, just fewer than Okananwa’s 21.

Nicole Fritea

The 6-foot-2 freshman adds more height to the roster. Fritea comes to Maryland from Arad, Romania. She was a member of the Romanian U-20 National Team this past summer.

Frieta is one of the two forwards that Frese recruited. She used her physical presence under the basket to lead the Romanian national team in rebounding.