Injuries seemingly halt one of No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball’s best starts

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball (16-4) has relied heavily on its backcourt at times this season. The duo of senior guard Shyanne Sellers and junior guard Bri McDaniel have accounted for nearly 32 of the team’s 76.8 points per game during Big Ten play, including 50.6% of the Terps’ points against Wisconsin on Jan. 11.

The duo helped Maryland get off to its best start since the 2011-12 season, including four wins over AP top-25 opponents. 

But for the first time all season, one of the nation’s best backcourts has faced some adversity. Injuries have riddled the Terps, derailing a team with national title aspirations.

In the first quarter against then-No. 24 Minnesota, the Terps were dealt a massive blow. After picking the pocket of Golden Gophers’ guard Amaya Battle, McDaniel drove the other way, looking for an easy layup. But as she came down, she landed awkwardly on the ground. The injury was later revealed to be a season-ending ACL tear.

“We are so sad for Bri. She brings a competitive fire and passion every time she steps on the court and I know she will continue to pour that into her teammates,” head coach Brenda Frese said on Jan. 20 on the team’s social media. “She will have incredible support from our Maryland family and her amazing family back home. We will be with her every step of the way, and I know she will attack her recovery and rehab to come back stronger than ever.”

McDaniel — the team’s fifth-highest scorer — averaged 10.6 points per game off the bench, knocking down an efficient 50.7% of her shots from the field. But most importantly, her baskets usually came at critical junctures, including eight third-quarter baskets to help Maryland mount a 16-point comeback against Purdue.

But her biggest impact came on the defensive end. McDaniel was usually tasked with guarding the opponent’s best scorer, something she excelled at. Her absence has certainly been felt, with the Terps giving up an average of 23 points over the next seven quarters. 

“This is our first game without Bri, and that’s hard,” junior guard Kaylene Smikle said after Maryland’s loss against No. 7 Texas. “She brings a defensive energy off the bench and offensive [energy] that we needed.”

It only worsened for Maryland, as Sellers suffered an injury in the next contest against Texas. With the Terps already down 33-14, Sellers rolled off a screen to get open for the inbounds pass. Instead, her legs collided with a Texas player, leaving her with a right knee sprain. She is currently listed as day-to-day.

Sellers’ absence is another crucial loss for Maryland. The two-time Big Ten Player of the Week elevated her game in conference play. After recording double-figure performances in 10 of the first 12 contests this season, she proceeded to average 22.6 over the next five games.

Sellers wasn’t just producing on her own but creating shots for others. She distributed a team-high 4.7 assists, the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten.

Without Sellers and McDaniel, the Terps have struggled, dropping three straight contests for the first time all season.

With the two guards out, turnovers have become a problem for Maryland in these losses. The Terps have turned the ball over 62 times in those games, resulting in 74 points for their opponents. 

“We’ve got about seven forwards on the bench, and we’ve got one guard coming off,” Frese said after Maryland’s loss to Texas. “Against a pressing team, you’ve got to be able to have ball handlers. We tried to change up our press breaks, especially at half, and little to none was working.”

Against No. 1 UCLA, 18 turnovers were too much to overcome and dimmed any chance of Maryland pulling off the upset. The Terps needed to play a near-perfect game, but a multitude of turnovers resulted in their second double-digit loss in three contests, 

Sellers’ and McDaniel’s absences came at the worst possible time. The Terps wrapped up one of the most daunting stretches of any team in the nation with six ranked opponents in seven games.

The Terps will look to snap their three-game losing streak against Penn State (10-11) and clean up their offense.

“[We have] a really mature group,” Frese said. “They’ve all been through adversity in their careers, and they know how to ride the ups and downs of the long season. I know they’ll stay focused and continue to control what they can control.”