The Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team fell 74-66 to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament on March 22, 2026, at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[1][2] Maryland entered as the No. 5 seed in the region, while North Carolina was the No. 4 seed.[1]
The confrontation occurred during the third quarter when head coach Brenda Frese, who has led the Terrapins since the 2002-03 season,[3] came nose-to-nose with guard Oluchi Okananwa after the player committed a turnover, missed three free throws and missed a layup, prompting her substitution.[1] Frese told Okananwa: "I believe in you, but you got to want this moment."[1]
Okananwa led Maryland with 21 points, six rebounds, two steals and six turnovers.[1]
In her first season with Maryland after two years at Duke,[4] Okananwa averaged 17.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while earning All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26.[1]
After the game, Okananwa said of Frese's style: "Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart... I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day."[1]
Frese, whose career head coaching record is 688-208,[1] explained the exchange as a challenge born of belief in Okananwa's talent: "Just challenge her, do you want the moment?"[1]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese came face-to-face with guard Oluchi Okananwa", March 23, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- Associated Press, "NCAA college basketball tournament photo gallery", March 22, 2026, https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-basketball
- University of Maryland Athletics, "Brenda Frese - Women's Basketball Coach", accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brenda-frese/2474
- University of Maryland Athletics, "Oluchi Okananwa - Women's Basketball", accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/oluchi-okananwa/24758
