Preview: No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball faces its toughest challenge in No. 4 USC

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball has faced 14 teams and three programs ranked in the AP poll this season, beating them by a combined margin of 24.6 points per game. But none compare to the test that awaits the Terps on Wednesday: No. 4 USC (14-1, 4-0 Big Ten).

“We embrace it, we’re a top 10 opponent ourselves,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I know this team is highly competitive. They love playing in games like this. Being at Iowa, they loved playing in that environment.”

Led by 2024 AP All-America first teamer, JuJu Watkins, the Trojans have picked up where they left off in their dominant run to the Elite Eight last season. And this year, USC looks even more dangerous.

The Trojans have faced four ranked teams this year and have taken down all but one, their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 3 Notre Dame. USC defeated then-No. 20 Ole Miss and then-No. 4 UConn, before dismantling then-No. 25 Michigan by 20 points.

And that has been due to Watkins’ stellar play. The third-highest scorer in the nation at 25.1 points per game has looked the part. After being named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in high school, Watkins broke the all-time national freshman scoring record.

This season, she has 20+ points in all but one game, including a 40-piece earlier against California Baptist. Watkins also collects 6.1 boards and 4.1 assists a game.

But USC added forward Kiki Iriafen over the offseason to lighten the load and she has done just that. Iriafen is averaging 17.9 points on an efficient 51.8% from the field while gathering 9 boards per game.

After missing over a month of action, freshman guard Kennedy Smith had her best performance in her fourth game back. In the team’s last contest against Rutgers, she dropped a season-high 19 points, her fourth double-digit game.

The Trojans are the 12th best rebounding team in the nation and center Rayah Marshall is a big reason why. She is gathering 8.7 boards, a team-leading 2.1 blocks and dropping 8.4 points a game. 

“[We have to be] really intentional about the little things, making sure we hit our man, box out and crash the boards every possession is going to be crucial,” guard Saylor Poffenbarger said. 

USC is also one of the best defensive teams, allowing 52 points per game and holding teams to 33.6% from the field, both good for sixth in the country. At the same time, the Trojans have recorded the second-most blocks in the country, 7.2 per game.

While the Trojans are the 12th-best offense in the nation, Maryland is right behind them. That is because of Kaylene Smikle’s play. The Co-Big Ten Player of the Week alongside Watkins has been tremendous this season.

Smikle dropped a season-high 26 points in the last game against No. 23 Iowa. She is averaging 18.1 points on 46.2% shooting from deep. However, Smikle has made the biggest strides on the defensive end. She had just 15 steals in the Terps’ first 12 games, but over the past two contests, she has racked up 11 steals.

“She anticipates really well and that’s the thing I love about her game on the defensive end,” Frese said. “ She understands and has a knack for where the ball is, it’s huge for us.”

Shyanne Sellers is Maryland’s second-best scorer, notching 12.9 points per game, including 40 combined points against Rutgers and No. 23 Iowa. She also facilitates a team-high 5.1 assists.

Outside of Sellers, the Terps have two more returners from last season’s roster in its eight-person rotation — Bri McDaniel and Allie Kubek. But both have taken on a new role this season as the first two players off the bench. McDaniel and Kubek are averaging 10.4 and 10.1 points a game.

Led by Poffenbarger and Christina Dalce, Maryland has only been outrebounded in just one game this season. Poffenbarger collects a team-high 9.3 boards and scores 9.6 points. Close behind, Dalce is averaging eight rebounds and 8.3 points per game.

This immense depth has allowed the Terps to thrive in Big Ten play, including two ranked wins over No. 20 Michigan State and Iowa. But the schedule ahead doesn’t get any easier, with four of their next six matches coming against top 10 teams.

Maryland will be looking to remain as one of the five unbeaten teams left in the nation and bolster its resume with its first top-five win of the season on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. and will be aired on Fox Sports 1.

“We play in the best conference in the country so these are the nights that prepare us for April and March, that’s ultimately where we want to be,” Poffenbarger said.