Who’s Gone: Alaysia Styles, (Forward).
Who’s Back: Ashley Owusu (Guard), Katie Benzan (Guard), Diamond Miller (Guard), Mimi Collins (Forward), Angel Reese (Guard/Forward), Chloe Bibby (Guard/Forward), Faith Masonius (Guard/Forward), Channise Lewis (Guard), Zoe Young (Guard), Taisiya Kozlova (Guard)
Who’s New: Shyanne Sellers (Guard, Freshman, Aurora, Ohio), Emma Chardon (Guard, Freshman, Geneva, Switzerland).
Okay, so where do we start? There may not be a team in the country that returns more on both sides of the court than the lady terrapins. Six double-figure scorers return, led by one of the more prolific and versatile backcourts in the country. Ashley Owusu, Diamond Miller, and Angel Reese are All-American talents; Katie Benzan is arguably the best 3-point threat in the Big Ten, and Chloe Bibby is a swiss army knife that can seamlessly blend in among the bevy of offensive talent in the lineup. As formidable as the big names are, Mimi Collins and the talented two-person freshman class of Shyanne Sellers and Swiss international Emma Chardon could give the terps an added level of athleticism and defensive versatility that could be the difference between a Sweet Sixteen run, and a legitimate shot at a final four berth or beyond.
The offense will not be an issue for this squad; Their growth on the defensive end of the court will speak volumes on where this team will ultimately end the year. The dream of bringing a second national championship to the Xfinity Center isn’t some stretch of faith; It’s a legitimate goal that’s well within the grasp of this year’s team. Yep…They’re THAT good. The toughness of the early schedule will say a lot about where this team will be when March rolls around.
Pre-Season Hot Take:
This IS a Final-Four/ National Championship contender. There aren’t too many teams in the country that have the depth, versatility, and offensive talent that the lady terps do on their roster. This is the year they shake the Sweet Sixteen bug. It’s going to be a fun ride for Terrapins fans, and for women’s college basketball as a whole.