Maryland women’s basketball is dancing for the 13th straight NCAA Tournament.
The Terps (19-13, 9-9 B1G) earned a No. 10 seed in the Portland 4 region. Maryland will travel to Northern California and will open the 2024 NCAA Tournament against No. 7 Iowa State. It is the first matchup between the two squads.
It is the Terps’ first time being a No. 10 seed. Maryland’s seeding is its lowest since earning a No. 12 seed in 2005. The Terps lost in the Second Round that season.
Iowa State finished 20-11 and lost in the Big 12 Championship to one-seeded Texas. Center Audi Crooks leads the Cyclones with 18.8 points per game.
“I think it’s really about who wants it more, is hungrier,” Shyanne Sellers said. “You have to have the right mentality for March.”
It is Maryland’s first time on the road for the first two rounds since Maryland earned a 5th seed in 2018.
Coach Brenda Frese is familiar with the Cyclones and head coach Bill Fennelly. Frese served as an assistant coach with Iowa State and Fennelly from 1996-1999.
Maryland has thrived in March, sporting a 53-29 record in the NCAA Tournament. Frese has compiled 41 wins in the tournament.
According to WarrenNolan.com, Maryland played the ninth hardest schedules in the country. The Terps finished eighth in the Big Ten with a 1-8 record against ranked teams and a seven-man rotation.
“Just to see the buy-in and the trust, it is very rewarding but for us this is the last push we have,” Frese said.
The Terps made a late push into the bracket after a surprising run to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals. Maryland earned a convincing 82-61 win over No. 1-seed Ohio State in the Quarterfinals, picking up their first ranked win of the season.
As time expired in the upset victory, Sellers turned to the media members in the crowd. The guard exclaimed that Maryland is peaking at the right time. The Terps can prove her case in the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m excited this is what we work for, to play in March,” Jakia Brown-Turner said. “We’re going to be ready.”
