No. 9 Maryland women’s basketball has reinvented its defensive identity early this season, largely due to its implementation of the press.
The Terps have emphasized playing significant full-court defense in an effort to force turnovers and manufacture easy offense. Last season, the Terps played just limited stints of full-court defense.
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“Through the injuries last year, we were really limited. We had to dial back the full-court defense, changing a lot of defenses,” head coach Brenda Frese said at media day.
The change in defensive strategy has paid dividends through the team’s first five games. So far, Maryland has forced 20.2 turnovers per game and averages 12.2 steals per game. The Terps also average 24 points off turnovers this season — 28.3% of their overall scoring.
Last season, Maryland forced 16 turnovers and 6.9 steals per game — both marks were worse than its opponents’ averages. The Terps also averaged 19.5 points off turnovers last year — 24.2% of their overall offensive production.
Granted, it’s a small sample size against worse competition, as the Terps have yet to start Big Ten play. But Maryland has undoubtedly been intentional and aggressive defensively to start the year. The press has been a driving factor in producing these results.
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“Even Coach [Frese] sometimes, with our press that we do, she has to tell us to even relax a little bit. So that goes to show you how serious we take it, and how it’s such a great tool for us to really get us going,” Oluchi Okananwa said.
Maryland welded its defense together from a mixture of newcomers. It added intensity, and returners began taking a greater initiative.
Saylor Poffenbarger is the ringleader of Maryland’s defense, racking up 14 steals so far this season. She has also been the most impactful Terp on the defensive boards, with 29 defensive rebounds — she’s been an anchor in ending opponents’ possessions.
“Coming in and just kind of doing what I do best,” Poffenbarger said after the UMBC contest. “Playing, rebounding, passing, playing defense, all the things and then when the ball comes to me, stepping into my shot with confidence.”
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Freshman forward Marya Boiko has been a weapon defensively. While she has raw skills and a not-entirely developed arsenal, her size has disrupted possessions in open space.
“We’re playing really hard every possession. We have really good intentions,” Frese said. “Defense is something they’re really prideful of and I love the ownership that they’re taking on both ends of the floor.”
Maryland’s guards have also made noticeable strides defensively. Addi Mack and Kyndal Walker have combined for 16 steals, despite both being primarily offensive-minded weapons. Mack has scored 15 or more points in three consecutive games, but has parlayed forced turnovers into easy layups, contributing to her production.
Okananwa leads the Terps in scoring but has also been impactful on the defensive end. She has stepped up in the press, contested shots, disrupted passes and facilitated transition.
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“My philosophy with defense is that it is really all hard,” Okananwa said after defeating Princeton. “There’s techniques to it, but it’s really your willingness to defend.”
So far, Maryland’s rim protection has dipped slightly from last season, averaging three blocks per game. Nonetheless, the Terps have still put together some solid single-game performances, including a seven-block outing against Towson.
Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu has been a key presence down low, blocking six shots through five games. She and Boiko have been Maryland’s key bigs thus far; Ozzy-Momodu has primarily defended down low, while Boiko has operated in the open court.
Maryland’s opponents have averaged just 56.8 points thus far — the Terps average a plus-28 scoring differential.
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On opening night, the Terps limited Loyola Maryland to 26 points, the fewest points in a game throughout the Frese era. Maryland has only allowed 70 points once this season, and that was when it took its foot off the gas pedal in a dominant win over Towson. Frese has emphasized limiting opponents’ scoring, and has set benchmarks for her team to hold various opponents early this year.
Of course, with stronger competition to arrive shortly, the Terps will have to prove they can maintain the hot defensive start.
The Terps played five games in 13 days to start the season. Against Princeton, Maryland’s strong defense didn’t maintain the same level of intensity across 40 minutes — fatigue was evident.
Maryland will need to stay consistent on that end throughout the season. It will also likely receive a jolt in the form of Bri McDaniel should she return from injury.
“We’ve got to be able to always be able to rely on our defense, and every game is going to be different in that sort of way,” Frese said.
