Preview: Maryland women’s basketball looks to build a new win streak against Washington

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

After an 18-point win against Oregon on Thursday, No. 16 Maryland women’s basketball (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten) will travel to Seattle, Wash., for the final matchup of its West Coast trip against the Huskies (14-9, 5-6).

Maryland is tied for fifth place in the conference, while Washington is 13th. 

The Terps endured a tough stretch prior to this weekend, losing four out of five matchups. This included three losses to top 12 teams and a heartbreaking loss to an improving Illinois program. 

“All of our losses are against top 35 teams in the net,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “For us, it’s taking those lessons and getting stronger as we’ve moved through the adversity of losing Bri [McDaniel] and [Shyanne Sellers] back into the fold.” 

As Sellers continued to work through her injury on the court, she was held scoreless against former Pac-12 member Oregon.

Still, others stepped up in her place. Sarah Te-Biasu scored a season-high 26 points, while the Terps’ leading scorer, Kaylene Smikle, scored 21 en route to a convincing win against an Oregon team that was previously 13-1 at home.

While this was a huge win for the Terps on the court, it also served as a record win for Frese, who won her 600th career game at Maryland in nostalgic territory. 

“For me, I played in the Pac-12 or Pac-10, I should say dating myself. So I am very familiar with it,” said Frese.

After the dispassion of the Pac-12 conference, Washington has held its own in its first season of Big Ten play. The Huskies started 3-1 in conference play, including a huge road win at Illinois, and now enters its matchup against Maryland at 5-6. 

Leading the offensive unit for Washington is its backcourt duo of junior Elle Ladine and sophomore Sayvia Sellers. 

Both guards have played all 23 games this season, with Ladine averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game and 2.4 assists, while Sellers averages 15.5 points and a team-high 3.8 assists. 

Ladine has increased her scoring average every season, highlighted by a four-point jump this year in only two more minutes, while Sayvia Sellers has nearly doubled her scoring output from her freshman campaign. 

Senior forward Dalayah Daniels commands the inside, averaging 11.3 points per game while leading the team in key defensive metrics like rebounds (6.7), steals (1.4), and blocks (1.4). 

The Washington native, who transferred from California, is in her third year with the team. She has stayed consistent, posting very similar averages throughout her college career, averaging between 11 and 12 points per game in four of her five seasons. 

While Washington might try to use its height advantage, Maryland makes up for its lack of size with its effort on the glass. 

Maryland is 16-3 this season when out-rebounding its opponent. The Terps average +10.3 more rebounds per game than their opponents, second in the Big Ten, while the Huskies average just +3.7. 

“You’ve got to be able to rebound,” Frese said. “Your defense and your rebounding (are) controllable. Those are focus issues, effort issues, and controllable issues. That’s where the emphasis has been placed.” 

The Terps are looking for their first win against Washington. They are 0-3 against the Huskies, with the most recent matchup being in the 2016 NCAA tournament round of 32.