Former Terp Brionna Jones’ return to Maryland making difference for freshman Hawa Doumbouya

Hawa Doumbouya was starstruck when she learned Brionna Jones joined Maryland women’s basketball’s coaching staff. 

The freshman center was sitting in a film session with her teammates when it was announced that the former Terp and two-time WNBA All-Star joined the team’s staff as its Director of Player Personnel.  Doumbouya then sprinted to the locker room and grabbed a shoe for the Connecticut Sun center to sign.

“I was fangirling a little bit … I haven’t worn them since,” Doumbouya said.

Jones played for the Terps from 2013 to 2017, a key contributor of back-to-back Final Four runs. Jones finished her collegiate career with a 65 percent field goal rate — a Big Ten record — and is tied for seventh all-time in program history with 1,928 points.

Jones joined Maryland’s staff in October, unable to play overseas in her offseason due to a ruptured Achilles in June. Doumbouya — who is tied as the tallest player in coach Brenda Frese’s tenure in College Park at 6-foot-7 — was immediately excited about the opportunity to learn from an established center.

“I’m gonna take full advantage of her,” Doumbouya said.

Jones is not permitted to work on the court with Doumbouya due to not being one of the five designated assistant coaches on the staff, per NCAA rules. The work around for Doumbouya is a film session with Jones following every game to find “little things” to improve on.

Jones discovered that Doumbouya often rushed when she received a pass —  she would immediately try to put up a shot after catching the ball. Jones wanted Doumbouya to slow down to process the court.

Doumbouya’s post moves was an immediate focus for Jones. She showed Doumbouya different footwork to utilize in the post after catching a pass — including countering defenses in the middle of the paint by pulling back and then drop-stepping into a layup. The freshman now practices that footwork during practice while having defense play against her.

“Taking your time powering through contact and finishing up the hoop and not veering off your path … we’ve been working on that and I think she’s getting better at it every day,” Jones said.

Doumbouya’s passing ability as a center stood out to Jones, citing great court vision and a feel for the court. Growing up in the Bronx, Doumbouya emulated players like Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul while playing outside in positionless basketball on the blacktop.

Doumbouya recalls watching Irving’s highlights and trying to replicate his passes when playing outdoors.

“I can pass the ball and I think I got that from being younger and playing outside in New York because you always want to play flashy,” Doumbouya said. “Being flashy is just as good as scoring when you play outside.”

Aside from continuing to work on her post moves, Doumbouya wants to improve on her conditioning — believing that will help her become more dominant. The center does extra conditioning after games and during practice to improve her stamina — an emphasis of hers entering the season.

“Hawa has just been putting in work, putting her head down, ready to work every day,” guard Bri McDaniel said.

Conditioning was similarly an emphasis for Jones entering her freshman year at Maryland in 2013 after suffering an ACL tear her senior season at Aberdeen High School. Like Doumbouya, Jones did extra workouts — including cardio work — to reach a college-level game shape, she said. 

Jones started in 14 of the last 15 games her freshman season after coming off the bench each of her first 20 collegiate games. She then started every game except one in her remaining three years at Maryland before being drafted eighth overall by the Sun in the 2017 WNBA draft.

Jones said that experience on the court has helped her relate to the Terps’ players. She understands that some days, or even just a possession, can be tough, and she wants to be there for players to talk to. It’s a trait learned from Frese at Maryland, Jones said, who she observed building “great relationships” with her players.

“The nuggets that she’s able to add from a player’s end,” Frese said. “… Just having her everyday presence, being at practice and on the bench has been critical for Hawa’s success,” Frese said.

Doumbouya projects her confidence level was at a four when she first started working with Jones at the beginning of the season, somewhat nervous when she received the ball. Shen has since appeared in seven games, averaging three points and just over two rebounds per game.

Doumbouya totaled a season-high eight points, five rebounds and three assists in her last outing against Towson Dec. 12. The center’s work with Jones was on display versus the Tigers. 

Doumbouya received a post-entry pass from Mary Sareen late in the fourth quarter, twisting her body away from defenders on the right block before dishing a bounce pass to a cutting Jakia Brown-Turner for an easy layup.

Doumbouya swatted a block minutes later. She then raced down the floor and promptly powered through two defenders to rebound a missed fast-break layup and put it back in.

Doumbouya flexed on her way back to defense after the second-chance bucket — an illustration of her confidence level now at an eight after her work with Jones.